:4.J.  D.  QRISSINQIR.^^ 

J^o., 

Date, 

Price, 


tihvavy  of  1:h^  Cheolo^ical  ^tmimvy 

PRINCETON    .   NEW  JERSEY 


PRESENTED  BY 


Kenneth  L.    Maxwell 

.S54- 


The  Suffering  Savior 

and 

Other   Sermons 


'^'CuvaJL  S k^tx^U^Ji^X^. 


The   Suffering  Savior 


^  or  PRr«^ 
NOV    81974 
Other  Sermons      \£J^/ogjcal  SE^^ 


Rev.  Daniel  Shepardson,  Jr.,  Ph.D.  (Yale) 

{Second  Edition — Enlarged  and  Revised) 


Fleming  H.   Revell  Company 

Chicago     :     New  York     :     Toronto 

Publishers  of  Evangelical  Literature 


Copyright,  1898,  by  Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 


TO    MY    WIFE 

MARY  BELLE  SMITH, 

who  was  willing  to  join  her  life  to  one  in  a 
wheel-chair;    who    for     four     years  with 
rare  sympathy  has  shared  my  shadows, 
and  whose  peaceful  presence  and 
constant  good  cheer  have  en- 
hanced my  sunshine,  these 
pages  are  gratefully 
dedicated. 


CONTENTS 


PAQB 

The  Suffering  Savior  .         .         .         .11 

The  Best  Thing  in  the  World      .         .  29 

Christ,  the  Motive  Power  .         .         .47 

Gradual  Growth     .....  62 

Working  for  Jesus 79 

The  Bible,  the  Word  of  God         .         .  96 

The  Dignity  and  Destiny  of  Man  .  .112 
Sorrows  Sanctified  ....  128 
Change  Your  Mind!  ....  145 
Two  Kinds  of  Christians  .  .  .  160 
Individual  Responsibility  for  Souls  ,  .174 
Paul's  Prayer  for  the  Philippians  .  192 
Thankfulness 199 


PREFACE 

The  following  sermons  have  been  used  of 
God  in  many  cities  in  the  Central  States, 
during  various  seasons  of  special  meetings, 
while  the  writer  has  been  traveling  about  as 
an  Evangelist.  They  are  now  published  in 
response  to  many  requests  from  those  who  have 
heard  one  or  more  of  them,  in  the  hope  that  they 
may  be  a  pleasant  and  profitable  souvenir  of  past 
experiences,  and  may  render  somewhat  more  per- 
manent the  impressions  made  at  the  time  of  their 
delivery.  The  frontispiece  will  remind  the 
reader  of  the  physical  background  of  these 
thoughts,  and  it  is  the  fond  trust  of  the  writer 
that  some,  who  are  among  the  "shut-ins,"  may 
also  derive  help  and  cheer  from  the  perusal  of 
these  pages.  The  religion  of  Jesus  is  the  only 
religion  that  enables  us  to  get  along  with  sorrow 
and  shade  without  being  either  discouraged  or 
hardened  by  them.  It  alone  furnishes  the  phi- 
losopher's stone  by  which  the  baser  metals,  the 
lead  and  copper  of  life,  may  be  changed  into  the 
imperishable  and  invaluable  silver  and  gold  of 
character.  All  other  religions  of  the  world  have 
proved  themselves  to  be  religions  of  despair. 
They  have  brought  no  sweet  relief  to  the  burdened 


PREFACE  8 

heart,  and  no  Balm  of  Gilead  to  the  broken  life. 
Where  other  religions  have  been  dismal  failures, 
the  religion  of  Jesus  has  gloriously  triumphed. 
He  does  "heal  the  broken-hearted,  preach  deliver- 
ance to  the  captives,  and  set  at  liberty  them  that 
are  bruised."  Christianity  is  pre-eminently  a 
religion  of  joy  and  sunshine.  It  brings  gladness 
out  of  grief,  song  out  of  sorrow,  sunshine  out  of 
shade.  It  is  not  a  burden,  but  a  boon;  not  a 
hindrance,  but  a  help ;  not  a  fast  or  a  funeral,  but 
a  feast.  The  call  of  Christ  as  of  the  prophet  of 
old  is,  "Hearken  diligently  unto  me,  and  eat  ye 
that  which  is  good,  and  let  your  soul  delight  itself 
in  fatness."  That  these  pages  may  be  blessed  by 
the  great  Lord  of  the  Harvest  to  you,  and  may 
help  you  to  lead  a  more  cheerful,  consecrated, 
Christian  life,  is  the  sincere  pra3^er  of  the  writer 

D.  S.,  Jr. 
Newark,  Ohio,  July  i,  1898. 


PREFACE  TO  SECOND  EDITION 

The  kind  reception  given  to  the  first  thousand 
of  ''The  Suffering  Savior,"  and  the  many  evi- 
dences of  its  helpfulness,  have  led  me  to  enlarge 
the  original  collection  by  adding  the  last  five 
studies  of  the  present  edition.  May  the  Savior 
continue  to  make  the  messages  a  blessing. 

D.  a,  Jr. 
Newark,  Ohio,  Sept.  i,  1899. 


The  Suffering  Savior 

JJC«  ^  JJP 

Hebrews  2:10. — ''For  it  became  him,  for  whom  are  all 
things  and  through  whom  are  all  things,  in  bringing 
many  sons  unto  glory,  to  make  the  captain  of  their 
salvation  perfect  through  suffering" 

JJC»  jp  JJP 

THE  writer  of  Hebrews  in  this  section  of  the 
book  is  giving  us  one  of  the  reasons  for  the 
sufferings  of  the  Son  of  God.  In  the  first 
chapter  he  has  shown  us  the  infinite  superiority  in 
nature  and  office  of  Jesus  Christ  to  angels. 
Angels  are  all  declared  to  be  *' ministering  spir- 
its," like  winds  or  flaming  fire,  "sent  forth  to  do 
service  for  the  sake  of  those  that  shall  inherit  sal- 
vation." They  are  the  messengers  of  God,  the 
pages  of  creation,  that  flit  here  and  there  on  the 
errands  of  the  king,  and  help  to  carry  out  his 
gracious  purposes.  They  are  subordinate  beings, 
lower  than  God  in  nature  and  office,  fleeting  in 
appearance  and  changeable  in  form.  Christ,  how- 
ever, is  declared  to  be  "a  Son,  through  whom  God 
made  the  worlds,  upholding  all  things  by  the  word 
of  his  power";  a  Son,  who,  "when  he  had  made 
purification  of  sins,  sat  down  on  the  right  hand 


12  THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR 

of  the  majesty  on  high,"  whom  God  ** appointed 
heir  of  all  things";  a  Son,  who  was  the  outshin- 
ing of  God's  glory,  and  the  very  impress  of  his 
substance."  Of  this  Christ  more  excellent 
things  are  spoken,  even  in  the  Old  Testament, 
than  are  declared  concerning  angels.  Of  Christ 
God  says,  in  the  2nd  psalm,  "Thou  art  my  Son, 
this  day  have  I  begotten  thee."  Again,  in 
another  psalm,  God  says  of  Christ,  "Thy  throne, 
O  God,  is  forever  and  ever;  and  the  scepter  of 
uprightness  is  the  scepter  of  thy  kingdom. 
Thou  hast  loved  righteousness  and  hated  iniquity ; 
therefore  God,  thy  God,  hath  anointed  thee  with 
the  oil  of  gladness  above  thy  fellows. ' '  And  again, 
"Thou,  Lord,  in  the  beginning  hast  laid  the  foun- 
dation of  the  earth,  and  the  heavens  are  the  works 
of  thy  hands;  they  shall  perish;  but  thou  con- 
tinuest :  and  they  all  shall  wax  old  as  doth  a  gar- 
ment; and  as  a  mantle  shalt  thou  roll  them  up, 
as  a  garment,  and  they  shall  be  changed:  but 
thou  art  the  same,  and  thy  years  shall  not  fail." 
And  again,  of  Christ,  God  has  said  in  the  iioth 
psalm,  "Sit  thou  on  my  right  hand,  until  I  make 
thine  enemies  the  footstool  of  thy  feet."  Thus 
Christ  is  declared  to  be  a  most  exalted  person, 
high  above  all  angels,  and  even  identified  with 
God.  He  is  Creator,  Sustainer,  Redeemer,  King. 
He  is  a  Son,  is  addressed  as  God,  has  an  everlast- 
ing throne,  loves  righteousness  and  hates 
iniquity,  has  been  anointed  with  the  oil  of  glad- 


THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR  13 

ness  above  his  fellows,  in  the  beginning  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  earth  and  made  the  heavens, 
and  at  the  last  will  roll  them  up  as  a  worn-out 
garment.  Earth  and  heavens  shall  pass  away,  or 
be  changed  into  something  new;  but  he,  who 
preceded  them  and  made  them,  shall  survive  the 
clash  of  worlds.  He,  the  Christ,  shall  sit  at  the 
right  hand  of  the  majesty  on  high,  until  all  of  his 
foes  shall  be  subdued. 

"But,"  says  an  objector,  "if  Christ  was  Creator, 
and  is  Sustainer,  Redeemer  and  ultimate  King  of 
all,  if  he  is  the  outshining  of  God's  glory  and  the 
very  impress  of  his  substance,  if  he  is  God's 
Son,  has  an  everlasting  throne,  didst  create  and 
will  dissolve  the  worlds;  if  he  is  so  exalted  a 
person,  far  above  angels,  and  even  identified  with 
God:  how  did  it  happen  that  this  same  Son,  when 
he  was  upon  earth,  appeared  to  be  inferior  to 
angels?  Angels  are  immortal.  Angels  do  not 
partake  of  flesh  and  blood,  are  not  suscep- 
tible to  suffering,  nor  subject  to  death.  But  Christ 
partook  of  flesh  and  blood,  was  a  man  among 
men,  lived  a  life  of  hardship  and  suffering,  and 
died  a  death  of  shame.  How  will  you  account 
for  these  sufferings  of  Jesus?  Were  they  not 
inconsistent  with  his  divine  position  and  prerog- 
ative?" It  is  in  his  answer  to  this  objection  that 
the  writer  of  the  book  of  Hebrews  gives  us  the 
words  of  our  text,  ' '  For  it  became  him,  for  whom 
are  all  things,  and  through  whom  are  all  things,  in 


14  THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR 

bringing  many  sons  unto  glory,  to  make  the  cap- 
tain of  their  salvation  perfect  through  suffering. ' ' 
"It  became  him,"  it  seemed  fitting  to  God,  it 
commended  itself  to  him;  to  him  *'for  whom  are 
all  things,  and  through  whom  are  all  things, ' '  to 
him  who  had  all  power  and  all  resources,  and 
before  whom  were  all  possible  plans  of  salvation ; 
it  seemed  good  to  him  in  the  process  of  "bring- 
ing many  sons  to  glory" — he  wanted  more  sons 
like  Jesus  Christ,  and  his  object  was  to  bring 
these  sons  to  glory — it  seemed  good  to  him  "to 
make  the  captain  (or  author)  of  their  salvation 
perfect  through  suffering";  not  perfect  in  the 
sense  of  being  made  free  from  fault  or  flaw,  free 
from  sin,  for  Christ  was  absolutely  and  always 
sinless;  but  perfect  in  the  sense  of  having  been 
thus  perfectly  fitted  to  do  his  work  as  a  sympa- 
thizing Savior,  and  as  High  Priest  for  humanity. 
In  other  words,  to  God,  who  had  boundless 
resources,  the  path  of  suffering  seemed  to  com- 
mend itself  as  the  best  possible  way  by  which 
Christ  should  become  fully  fitted  to  be  the  captain 
of  salvation  for  a  sinful  and  suffering  world. 
This  verse,  then,  brings  strikingly  before  our 
minds  the  thought  of  fellow-suffering  as  the  real 
basis  of  sympathy,  and  sympathy  as  the  true  basis 
of  helpfulness,  about  which  I  wish  now  to  say  a 
few  things. 

I.   Fellow-suffering    is    the     longest     line     of 
sympathy.     Blood-relationship  is  usually  a  basis 


THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR  15 

of  sympathy.  People  born  of  common  parents 
generally  have  a  fellow-feeling  one  for  another, 
have  an  interest  in  and  sympathy  for  each  other. 
Brother  sympathizes  with  brother,  and  relative 
with  relative.  The  basis  of  this  sympathy  is  this 
blood-relationship,  but  this  is  a  very  short  line 
and  small  circle  of  sympathy,  embracing  only  a 
few  individuals  at  the  most.  Again,  persons  of 
the  same  circle  in  society,  of  kindred  tastes,  of 
similar  professions  or  occupations,  or  of  similar 
religious  persuasion,  have  a  mutual  interest  in  and 
sympathy  for  each  other.  Doctors  are  inter- 
ested in  doctors,  lawyers  in  lawyers,  etc.  This  is 
a  sympathy  based  upon  social,  professional  or 
religious  relationship,  and  is  a  still  longer  line  of 
sympathy  than  that  of  family  ties,  embracing  a 
much  larger  circle  of  people.  Again,  people  born 
in  the  same  city  or  state,  or  who  are  citizens  of 
the  same  great  nation,  usually  have  a  fellow-feel- 
ing for  one  another,  have  sympathy  with  each 
other.  This  fellow-feeling,  based  upon  civic  or 
national  lines,  may  not  always  be  so  very  prom- 
inent in  one's  thinking,  but  may  lie  dormant  until 
some  unusual  occasion  calls  it  into  action.  For 
instance,  what  a  burst  of  manifested  patriotism 
has  been  suddenly  called  forth  by  our  war  with 
Spain !  What  a  national  fellow-feeling  has  been 
aroused  into  consciousness  by  these  stirring 
events,  until  you  and  I,  every  one  of  us,  has  the 
keenest,  liveliest  interest  in  everything  that  con- 


i6  THE  SUFFERING  SAVIOR 

cerns  the  welfare  of  every  "boy  in  blue,"  whether 
he  assists  in  reconstructing  government  in  near- 
by Cuba,  or  in  establishing  and  maintaining 
peace  and  order  in  the  far-away  Philippines! 
National  relationship,  patriotism,  love  of  a  com- 
mon country,  is  the  basis  of  this  fellow-feeling;  it 
is  a  long  line  of  sympathy,  embracing  seventy 
millions  of  people.  But  there  is  yet  a  still 
longer  line  of  sympathy,  based  not  upon  family 
ties,  nor  upon  social,  professional,  or  religious 
relationship,  nor  upon  civic  or  national  kinship, 
but  based  upon  fellow-suffering.  Ever  since  sin 
entered  the  world  by  man's  voluntary  transgres- 
sion, one  lot  has  been  the  common  experience  of 
all  members  of  the  race.  We  are  all  of  us  sin- 
ners, and  all  of  us  sufferers.  The  world  is  full  of 
sin  and  filled  with  suffering;  and  because  this  is 
so,  suffering  makes  the  whole  world  kin.  Even 
the  suffering  Cubans,  though  foreigners  in 
language,  customs  and  race,  became  our  fel- 
lows, aroused  our  sympathies,  and  plunged 
a  great  nation  into  a  costly  and  bloody  war, 
for  suffering  is  the  longest  line  of  sympathy. 
And  so  when  the  great  God,  yearning  over  fallen 
and  falling  men,  determined  to  send  his  own  Son 
to  be  the  captain  of  their  salvation,  in  order  that 
the  Christ  might  be  most  intimately  and  closely 
related  to  every  member  of  a  suffering  race,  in 
order  that  the  Christ  might  get  a  strong  hold 
upon  men,  it  seemed  good  to  him,  "for  whom  are 
all  things,  and  through  whom  are  all  things,  in 


THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR  17 

bringing  many  sons  to  glory,  to  make  the  captain 
of  their  salvation  perfect  through  suffering." 
Had  Christ  lived  among  men  as  an  earthly  king, 
surrounded  with  all  the  pomp  and  pride  of  power 
and  separated  from  suffering  and  want,  it  would 
doubtless  have  seemed  more  in  accord  with  divine 
position  and  prerogative,  but  he  would  not  in 
that  case  have  been  the  Christ  for  you  and  for 
me.  Far  off  from  our  wants  and  woes,  with  no 
sufferings  or  sorrows  or  trials,  he  would  not  have 
had  real  fellow-feeling  or  sympathy  with  us,  and 
without  sympathy  v/ith  us,  he  could  not  help  us ; 
for  fellow-suffering  is  the  true  basis  of  sympathy, 
and  sympathy  is  the  real  basis  of  helpfulness. 
Had  Christ  lived  in  the  so-called  middle  class  of 
society,  experiencing  its  comforts  and  trials,  he 
would  have  been  able  to  sympathize  with  and  help 
them,  and  all  more  favored  than  they;  but  he 
would  hardly  have  been  able  to  help  those  who 
were  at  the  bottom  of  the  social  ladder,  whose 
sufferings  and  trials  were  so  numerous  and  so 
heavy.  But,  v\^hen  the  great  Son  of  God,  Creator, 
Sustainer,  Redeemer,  King;  when  he  who  was 
the  outshining  of  God's  glory,  and  the  very 
impress  of  his  substance ;  when  he  who  made  and 
will  dissolve  the  worlds,  he  who  shall  sit  at  God's 
right  hand,  until  his  enemies  shall  be  made  the 
footstool  of  his  feet ;  when  he  was  born  into  our 
suffering  world,  of  humble  and  poor  parentage, 
taking  upon  himself  the  form  of  a  servant,  living 


i8  THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR 

a  life  of  suffering  and  dying  a  death  of  shame, 
"borrowing  a  cradle  from  the  cattle,  and  a  grave 
from  a  friend";  then  God's  love  and  God's  wisdom 
were  manifested  in  making  the  captain  of  our 
salvation  perfect  through  suffering. 

2.  Again,  note  that  suffering,  like  joy,  is  limited 
by  capacity.  Some  people  have  more  capacity 
for  sorrow  or  joy  than  other  people.  Some  per- 
sons live  a  sort  of  negative,  passive  existence,  on 
a  dead  level,  like  a  plain,  w4th  few  mountain 
peaks  of  exaltation  and  lofty  joy,  and  few  valleys 
of  depression  or  deep  pain.  Some  people  suffer 
less  than  others,  because  of  having  less  capacity 
for  suffering.  Others  have  a  large,  full,  receptive 
nature,  capable  of  rarest,  purest  delight,  and  also 
capable  of  deepest,  darkest  trial  and  suffer- 
ing. And  so  when  we  think  of  "The  Suffering- 
Savior,"  we  must  keep  in  mind  the  largeness  of 
his  capacity.  Capacity,  both  for  sorrow  and  joy, 
was  at  its  maximum  in  Christ.  He  was  in  the 
largest  and  fullest  sense  a  nian^  every  inch  a  man, 
pre-eminentl}^  the  Son  of  Man.  No  one  else  on 
earth  could  know  the  height  and  purity  of  his  joy, 
for  no  one  else  had  such  a  capacity  for  gladness ; 
no  one  else  on  earth  could  know  the  depth  and 
awfulness  of  his  dark  sorrows,  for  no  one  else  had 
such  a  finely  strung  and  sensitive  soul.  You 
and  I  will  never  experience  down  here  the  highest 
altitudes  of  "the  joy  of  the  Lord,"  because  we 
have  not  yet  the  capacity  to  receive  them;  nor 


THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR  19 

will  you  and  I  ever  (for  there'll  be  no  sorrow 
there)  be  called  to  pass  through  shadows  and 
sorrows  as  deep  as  those  which  he  experienced, 
because  our  souls,  with  their  limited  capacities, 
cannot  fathom  such  depths.  Our  joys,  compared 
with  his  joys,  are  like  starlight  compared  with  the 
glow  of  the  noontide  sun;  our  trials  and  sorrows 
are  unto  his  trials  and  sorrows  as  twilight  shades 
to  midnight  gloom.  And  then,  too,  when  we 
think  of  "The  Suffering  Savior,"  we  must  not 
minimize  the  reality  of  his  manhood.  Christ 
was  a  real  man.  There  seems  to  be  a  tendency 
in  human  thinking  to  swing  like  a  pendulum 
from  one  extreme  to  the  other  on  this  subject. 
Sometimes  men  make  so  much  of  the  divinity  of 
Christ  as  to  forget  his  humanity.  Sometimes 
men  make  so  much  of  his  humanity  as  to  forget 
his  divinity.  Some  men  find  it  hard  to  accept  in 
their  thinking  the  Christ  of  the  Gospels,  who  is 
really  God,  and  yet  truly  man.  Some  men  find  it 
hard  to  take  the  Christ  as  the  Bible-writers  and 
history  found  him.  One  of  the  great  arguments 
for  the  faithfulness  and  trustworthiness  of  the 
Gospel  narrators  is  that  they  record  the  facts 
both  of  his  divinity  and  of  his  humanity,  without 
any  attempt  to  explain  or  reconcile  them.  His 
humanity  and  his  divinity  were  both  of  them  real 
and  genuine,  and  were  often  manifested  side  by 
side    in    a    very    striking    way.*    For    instance, 

*Q^.  Stalker's  "Trial  and  Death  of  Jesus  Christ." 


20  THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR 

Christ,  after  a  hard  day's  work  of  teaching  and 
healing  in  Capernaum,  desires  quiet  and  rest, 
and  asks  the  disciples  to  get  a  boat  and  push  out 
upon  the  lake.  The  disciples  do  so,  and  Christ 
lies  down,  tired  and  weary,  upon  a  pillow  in  the 
stern  of  the  boat.  Soon  he  is  fast  asleep,  so 
soundly  asleep  as  not  to  be  disturbed  by  the  toss- 
ing of  the  boat,  or  by  the  storm  that  is  now 
raging;  so  soundly  asleep  that  it  was  necessary 
roughly  to  shake  him,  in  order  to  arouse  him.  It 
is  the  deep  sleep  of  a  weary  man.  But  now,  as 
the  disciples  wake  him  with  the  troubled  cry, 
''Master,  carest  thou  not  that  we  perish?"  Christ 
arises  from  his  sleep,  rebukes  the  storm,  and  com- 
mands the  troubled  elements,  "Peace,  be  still." 
"And  there  was  a  great  calm."  The  disciples  were 
amazed,  and  doubtless  felt,  "It's  the  voice  of 
God!"  Again,  we  see  this  Christ  at  the  tomb  of  a 
friend,  and  amid  the  grief  and  sadness  of  the 
scene,  "Jesus  wept."  They  are  the  tears  of  a 
man.  And  then,  in  a  few  moments,  we  hear 
him  as  he  stands  before  the  rock  tomb  of  his  dead 
friend  and  cries,  "Lazarus,  come  forth";  and,  at 
the  call  of  God,  the  dead  awakes.  Ah,  yes!  he 
was  both  God  and  man ;  and  you  and  I  will  lose 
much  of  the  sweet  helpfulness  of  the  Christ  of  the 
Gospels,  if  we  minimize  in  our  thinking  either  his 
divinity  or  his  humanity.  In  thinking,  then,  of 
Christ,  the  Sufferer,  remember  at  all  times  the 
reality  of  his  humanity.     Bear  in  mind  that  he 


THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR  21 

had  a  human  body,  that  he  was  born  of  a  woman, 
that  he  grew  in  wisdom  and  stature  as  other  men, 
that  he  was  hungry  and  thirsty  and  weary,  feel- 
ing the  same  kind  of  hunger  and  thirst  and  weari- 
ness that  you  and  I  feel.  Bear  in  mind  that  he 
needed  rest  and  sleep,  that  he  was  susceptible  to 
physical  suffering  and  pain,  that  he  "sweat,  as  it 
were,  great  drops  of  blood  falling  down  to  the 
ground,"  that  he  fainted  beneath  the  cross,  was 
scourged  and  crucified,  died  and  was  buried. 
Bear  in  mind  that  he  had  a  rational  nature,  that 
he  was  subject  to  temptation,  that  he  had  emo- 
tions of  joy  and  grief,  that  he  felt  compassion  and 
had  displeasure,  that  he  needed  and  practiced 
prayer.  Above  all  things,  remember  hi^;  sorrows 
and  his  troubles.  Indeed,  "he  was  a  man  of  sor- 
rows and  acquainted  with  grief ' ;  he  had  sorrows  in 
his  own  life,  and  was  familiar  with  the  woes  of 
others:  grief,  from  the  bereavement  of  death; 
grief,  from  the  unfaithfulness  of  his  dearest 
friends;  grief,  from  the  treachery  of  one  who  sat 
at  meat  with  him;  grief,  from  the  vicious  and 
unrelenting  hate  which  followed  him  everywhere 
from  those  who  should  have  been  his  friends; 
grief,  from  seeing  the  wickedness  of  the  wicked, 
and  knowing  the  certainty  of  their  doom ;  grief, 
from  realizing  his  helplessness  to  save  those  who 
would  not  come  to  him  that  they  might  be  saved. 
Ah!  surely,  he  was  the  "man  of  sorrows  and 
acquainted   with   grief";   surely,   the  captain   of 


22  THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR 

our  salvation  was  made  "perfect  through  suffer- 
ing!" 

And  yet,  though  perfectly  fitted  to  be  our 
sympathizing  Savior,  many  live  and  die  without 
the  abiding  consciousness  of  his  helpfulness. 
Some  months  ago,  in  a  neighboring  city,  a  bur- 
dened one  opened  her  heart  to  me  and  told  me 
her  sorrow.  She  was  a  hunchback  girl,  and  felt 
lonely  and  hungry  for  companionship.  "You 
know,"  she  said,  to  the  man  in  the  wheel-chair, 
"my  heart  aches;  I'm  so  lonely!  I  tell  you  this 
because  I  feel  sure  that  you,  in  your  physical  con- 
dition, will  understand  my  meaning.  There  are 
times  when  Jesus  don't  seem  to  help  me  any,  and 
they  too  are  the  times  when  I  need  him  the  most. 
You  know.  I  get  so  lonely!  I  feel  so  much 
alone  in  the  world!  The  hunch  on  my  back 
separates  me  from  everybody  else ;  even  my  own 
mother  don't  understand  me.  No  one  knows  my 
peculiar  trials  and  troubles.  I  am,  at  times,  so 
much  alone!  Even  Jesus  is  not  company  for 
me."  And  then,  in  order  still  further  to  draw 
her  out,  I  said,  "How  is  it  that  Jesus  can't  help 
you?"  "Ah,"  said  she,  "Jesus  didn't  have  any 
hunch  on  his  back,  did  he?  He  never  knew  how 
it  felt  to  be  so  lonesome!"  Then  I  began  to  tell 
to  her  again  the  story  of  Jesus.  I  told  her  of  his 
glory  with  the  Father  before  the  worlds  were.  I 
told  her  of  the  purity  and  sweet  companionship  of 
heaven,   of  the    society  of    the    angels,   of  how 


THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR  23 

Jesus  so  loved  us  that  he  left  all  of  these  things 
and  came  down  to  earth  to  die  for  us.  I  told  her 
how  coldly  he  was  received ;  how,  when  he  made 
known  in  his  home  town  his  friendly  and  merciful 
mission,  his  fellow  citizens  took  him  out  to  the 
edg-e  of  a  precipice  and  wished  to  hurl  him  head- 
long to  destruction.  I  told  her  of  his  rejection  by 
Capernaum  and  Gadara,  by  Samaria  and  Judea; 
how  '*he  came  unto  his  own  and  his  own  received 
him  not";  how  he  wept  over  Jerusalem  because 
of  her  hard-heartedness ;  how  he  was  misunder- 
stood by  friend  and  foe ;  how  he  could  not  make 
known  the  deepest  thoughts  of  his  heart,  because 
the  people  of  earth  were  not  able  to  receive  them ; 
how  even  his  disciples  had  constantly  material- 
istic and  selfish  thoughts,  while  he  was  speaking 
to  them  of  spiritual  things.  I  told  her  of  the  far 
remove  between  his  sinless  soul  and  the  best 
thoughts  of  earth's  purest  ones.  I  pictured  forth 
his  natural  sociability  and  his  lack  of  congenial 
companions,  his  loneliness  when  he  cried,  "The 
foxes  have  holes  and  the  birds  of  the  air  have 
nests,  but  the  Son  of  Man  hath  not  where  to  lay 
his  head";  for  humanity  had  shut  its  doors  and 
its  hearts  against  him.  And  then  I  told  her  of 
Gethsemane  and  those  trying  hours ;  how  he  took 
the  eleven  with  him  into  the  garden  (one  of  his 
twelve  most  intimate  followers  was  even  now  sell- 
ing him  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver).  I  told  her 
how  he  longed  to  have  friends  near  him  in  the 


24  THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR 

hours  of  struggle;  how,  feeling  perhaps  their  lack 
of  sympathy,  he  left  the  eleven  and  taking  the 
three,  Peter,  James  and  John,  went  still  further 
into  the  Garden ;  how,  leaving  even  the  three,  he 
went  alone  into  the  deeper  gloom,  and  fell  head- 
long on  the  ground  and  agonized.  The  loneliness 
and  struggle  of  those  hours,  who  can  picture! 
And  then  he  returned  to  his  friends  for  sympathy 
and  help.  Were  they  watching  and  sharing  his 
sorrow?  Ah,  no;  they  were  fast  asleep.  He 
was  alone  in  his  trouble.  And  then  I  told  her  of 
his  arrest,  and  how  all  forsook  him  and  fled.  I 
told  her  of  his  trial  and  scourging  and  cruel  mock- 
ing ;  and  how,  when  he  hung  upon  the  cross,  the 
gloom  seemed  so  dark  that  even  the  face  of 
God  seemed  to  be  hidden  from  him,  and  he  cried 
out  in  his  loneliness  and  woe,  "My  God!  my  God! 
why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  Then,  turning  to 
the  hunchback  girl,  I  said,  "Do  you  think  you 
ever  felt  as  lonesome  as  Jesus  did?  Don't  you 
think  that  he  can  sympathize  with  and  help  you 
now?"  "Yes,"  she  said,  "I  see  it  now,  and  I 
will  accept  him  as  my  sj^mpathizing  Savior  in 
every  sorrow."  "For  it  became  him,  for  whom 
are  all  things,  and  through  whom  are  all  things, 
in  bringing  many  sons  unto  glory,  to  make  the 
captain  of  their  salvation  perfect  through  suffer- 
ing." 

Again,  we  must  remember  that  this  sympathiz- 
ing Jesus  is  just  the  same  to-day  as  of  old.     When 


THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR  25 

he  ascended  on  high,  he  did  not  lay  aside  his 
humanity,  his  capacity  for  sympathy,  his 
human  fellow-feeling;  for  the  Christ  who  sits 
to-day  on  the  right  hand  of  the  majesty  on  high 
is  the  glorified  God-Man,  Christ  Jesus.  His  per- 
fect humanity  has  been  crowned  and  glorified, 
but  not  given  up.  He  is  still  "Jesus  Christ,  the 
same  yesterday,  to-day  and  forever."  "In  him 
dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily." 
We  still  "have  a  great  high  priest  who  hath  passed 
through  the  heavens' ' ;  "not  a  high  priest  that  can- 
not be  touched  with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities, 
but  one  who  was  in  all  points  tempted  like  as  we 
are, "  "For  in  that  he  himself  hath  suffered  being 
tempted,  he  is  able  to  succor  them  that  are 
tempted."  The  Christ  in  heaven  is  yet  "a  lamb 
as  it  had  been  slain."  In  his  exaltation  he  does 
not  forget  the  experiences  of  his  humiliation. 
He  is  now  "the  captain  of  our  salvation  perfect 
through  suffering. ' ' 

3.  It  follows,  then,  from  these  considerations, 
that  the  reason  why  many  have  rejected  Christ  is 
just  the  reason  why  they  should  accept  him.  The 
Jews  rejected  Christ  because  of  the  lowliness  of 
his  life,  because  he  refused  to  live  as  kings  usually 
live.  A  royal  Messiah  they  were  ready  to  crown, 
but  a  suffering  Messiah  they  hasted  to  crucify. 
Had  Jesus  on  Palm  Sunday  come  into  Jerusalem 
on  a  charging  war-horse  and  as  a  military  con- 
queror,  the  result    would    doubtless  have    been 


26  THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR 

different  from  what  it  was,  when  he  came  into 
Jerusalem  upon  a  humble  beast  of  burden,  and  as 
the  Prince  of  Peace.  The  man  of  sorrows  was 
not  to  the  Jews'  liking,  although  it  was  through 
those  very  sorrows  that  he  was  perfectly  fitted  to 
meet  their  need.  Paul  found  that  a  crucified 
Christ  was  "to  the  Jews  a  stumbling-block,  and 
to  the  Greeks  foolishness";  and  yet,  after  all,  he 
was  "the  power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God 
unto  salvation"  to  all  who  believe;  for  it  seemed 
best  "to  him,  for  whom  are  all  things,  and  through 
whom  are  all  things,  in  bringing  many  sons  to 
glory,  to  make  the  captain  of  their  salvation  per- 
fect through  suffering."  Moreover,  to-day  there 
are  some  who  reject  the  divine  Christ  because  of 
his  human  sufferings ;  and  yet  these  very  suffer- 
ings were  endured  that  he  might  the  more  fully 
identify  himself  with  those  whom  he  came  to 
save,  and  by  sympathizing  with  them  help 
them. 

4.  And  now,  in  conclusion,  let  us  note  that  as 
Christ  through  his  sufferings  became  the  better 
fitted  to  be  our  sympathizing  and  helpful  Savior, 
so  we,  through  our  sufferings,  may  become  the 
better  fitted  to  be  helpful  to  our  suffering  fellows. 
It  is  only  those,  who  themselves  have  really 
suffered,  who  can  have  the  truest  and  deepest 
sympathy  with  those  who  suffer.  This  is  one  of 
the  most  precious  of  the  many  compensations 
which  come  to  the  sufferer  that — in  addition  to  the 


THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR  27 

lessons  of  patience  and  faith  which  it  is  his  high 
privilege  to  learn ;  in  addition  to  the  deeper  appre- 
ciation of  the  sufferings,  sympathy,  companion- 
ship and  promises  of  the  Savior,  which  it  is  his 
blessed  lot  to  have ;  in  addition  to  the  purifying 
and  strengthening  of  his  own  character,  which 
the  submissive,  cheerful  and  Christian  endurance 
of  trials  and  suffering  always  brings  about — in 
addition  to  all  these  blessings,  he  who  suffers 
may  gain,  if  he  will,  from  his  own  sufferings  an 
enlarged  capacity  for  sympathy  with  and  helpful- 
ness to  others.  What  a  privilege  it  is  for  the 
suffering  ones  of  earth,  by  living  cheerful, 
courageous  lives  in  the  midst  of  many  shadows, 
to  be  able  to  cheer,  comfort  and  help  others  in 
their  trials!  This  thought  was  evidently  in  the 
mind  of  Paul,  that  happy,  thankful  Christian  of 
many  perils  and  much  suffering,  when  he 
exclaimed  in  the  opening  chapter  of  his  second 
letter  to  the  Corinthians:  "Blessed  be  God,  even 
the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Father 
of  mercies,  and  the  God  of  all  comfort;  who 
comforteth  us  in  all  our  tribulation,  that  we  may 
be  able  to  comfort  them  which  are  in  any  trouble, 
by  the  comfort  wherewith  we  ourselves  are  com- 
forted of  God."  And  so,  O  burdened  one,  do  not 
be  cast  down  by  your  trials,  but  find  refuge  in  the 
Captain  of  your  salvation,  who  was  made  perfect 
through  suffering;  and  let  not  your  sorrows  and 
suffering     harden    you,    but     rather    may    they 


28  THE    SUFFERING    SAVIOR 

increase  your  capacity  for  sympathy  and  helpful- 
ness, and  send  you  out  to  cheer  and  comfort 
others  with  the  comfort  wherewith  you  yourself 
have  been  comforted  of  God. 


The  Best  Thing  in 
the  World 

Matt.  13:44-46. — "-'The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a 
treasure  hidden  in  the  field;  zvhich  a  nianfoicnd,  and 
hid;  aftd  i7i  his  joy  he  goeth  and  selleth  all  that  he 
hath,  and  bicyeth  that  field.  Again,  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  like  unto  a  mati  that  is  a  7nercha?it  seeking 
goodly  pearls:  and  having  found  one  pearl  of  great 
price,  he  went  a7td  sold  all  that  he  had,  and  bought  it.'' 

AS  one  passes  along  a  thoroughfare  of  any  of 
our  cities,  and  notices  the  people  with 
eager  faces  thronging  hither  and  thither, 
the  question  often  arises,  "What  is  it  that  each  one 
is  seeking  so  earnestly?  What  is  that  thing  of  such 
high  value  as  to  be  worthy  of  such  a  relentless  pur- 
suit?" Some  are  seeking  pleasure,  some  wealth, 
some  wisdom,  some  power.  All  of  them  are  in 
pursuit,  directly  or  indirectly,  of  something  which 
they  regard  as  a  good  thing,  the  winning  of  which 
would  result  in  personal  gain.  But  the  ends  at 
which  they  are  aiming  are  so  various,  and  differ 
so  much  in  actual  value.     Some  are  high,  some 

29 


so    THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD 

are  low,  some  are  of  great  worth,  some  are  value- 
less; and  the  old  question  recurs  again  and 
again,  "What  is  the  best  thing  in  the  world?" 
What  is  that  thing  supremely  desirable,  for  the 
attainment  of  which  it  were  well,  if  necessary,  to 
lose  all  things  else?  What  is  the  chief  good,  the 
siunmum  boniun^  as  the  ancients  called  it?  Is 
there,  after  all,  some  one  thing  which,  for  all 
people,  irrespective  of  age,  sex  or  condition,  is  of 
highest  value?  If  so,  what  is  it,  and  how  can 
we  obtain  it? 

I.  Various  answers  have  been  given  to  this  first 
question,  "What  is  the  chief  good?"  These 
answers  have  differed  one  from  another  as  the 
answers  to  a  corresponding  question  have  been 
different.  That  probably  is  the  greatest  good  for 
each  one  of  us  which  will  hinder  and  destroy  that 
which  causes  us  the  most  harm.  Tell  me  what 
you  regard  as  the  greatest  evil  of  existence,  and  I 
can  readily  determine  what  you  think  to  be  the 
greatest  good.  Let  us  recall  some  of  the  things 
that  have  been  and  are  regarded  by  men  as  of 
supreme  worth. 

It  is  thought  by  many  that  the  greatest  evil  of 
existence  is  physical  evil.  That  sickness  and 
suffering,  bodily  disease  and  decay  are  the  essence 
of  human  ills.  Corresponding  with  this  view  of 
evil  is  the  view  that  physical  health  is  the  great- 
est blessing  which  any  individual  can  possess. 
To  be  sound  in  body,  and  to  remain  so,  is  to  have 


THE  BEST. THING  IN  THE  WORLD   31 

the  chief  good.  Led  on  by  this  idea,  Ponce  de 
Leon,  an  old  man,  rich  but  weakened  with  age, 
set  out  on  the  27th  of  March,  15 13,  from  Porto 
Rico,  with  three  caravels  to  cross  again  the  wide 
Atlantic,  in  search  of  the  longed  for  "Fountain  of 
Perpetual  Youth,"  which  Spanish  folk-lore  said 
was  situated  in  the  islands  beyond  the  sea. 
When,  after  days  of  westward  sailing,  they 
sighted  the  southeastern  shore  of  our  continent, 
at  that  time  green  and  beautiful  to  the  water's 
edge,  their  enthusiasm  rose  to  the  highest  pitch, 
and  in  their  delight  they  named  the  place 
"Florida,"  "the  land  of  flowers. "  Surely,  such  a 
bower  of  bloom  and  beauty  could  only  be  ferti- 
lized by  a  fountain  of  perpetual  youth.  Surely,  in 
such  a  haven  health  and  strength  would  be  per- 
manent. You  recall  how  expectantly  Ponce  de 
Leon  and  his  men  explored  the  woods  and 
searched  the  valleys,  hopefully  bathing  in  every 
stream  and  eagerly  drinking  of  every  spring,  in 
search  of  the  waters  of  immortality.  But,  alas! 
they  were  never  found.  De  Leon  returned  to 
Porto  Rico,  a  broken-down  and  disappointed 
man,  only  to  die  of  wounds  received  on  his  fruit- 
less journey.  Health  of  body,  freedom  from 
pain,  must  always  be  indeed  a  great  boon. 
Farthest  is  it  from  my  thoughts  to  underestimate 
its  real  worth.  It  is  a  gift  of  God  to  be  devoutly 
grateful  for,  to  be  guarded  with  zealous  care. 
But  it  is  not  the  supreme  good.     There  is  some- 


32    THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD 

thing  of  higher  value  than  this.  It  is  possible 
for  one  to  enjoy  for  many  years  practically  per- 
fect health,  and  yet  miss  entirely  the  supreme 
good.  There  is  something  better,  to  gain  which 
it  were  profitable,  if  necessary,  even  to  lose  this 
so-called  chief  good. 

In  other  days  there  were  those  who  openly 
avowed  that  the  greatest  good  is  pleasure,  whose 
motto  was,  "Let  us  eat,  drink  and  be  merry,  for 
to-morrow  we  die" — Epicureans,  who  thought  the 
greatest  good  in  life  was  just  to  have  a  good 
time.  Even  in  this  age  of  Christian  civilization  and 
enlightenment  there  seem  to  be  many  follow- 
ers of  this  ancient,  heathen  philosophy.  But  it 
has  always  been  true,  that  those  who  have  sought 
happiness  in  itself  as  the  chief  good,  have  always 
ended  by  being  themselves  most  miserable ;  hav- 
ing found  that  this,  which  was  supposed  to  be  the 
chief  good,  was  in  truth  but  a  deceptive  dream. 
The  writer  of  Ecclesiastes  presents  to  us  one  who 
gave  himself  up  unreservedly  to  having  a  good 
time,  and  who  drank  to  the  full  of  every 
pleasure  possible,  even  to  a  king  of  limitless 
resources  and  unbridled  appetites ;  but  at  the  end 
of  his  full  round  of  pleasure,  when  he  had  tasted 
all  of  her  sweets,  he  sadly  but  wisely  wrote, 
"Vanity  of  vanities,  vanity  of  vanities,  all  is 
vanity."  It  is  also  worthy  of  note  that  the 
so-called  "school  of  pleasure''  never  yet  has  pro- 
duced a  really  great  man. 


THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD   ss 

Again,  men  have  said  that  the  greatest  of  all  ills 
is  financial  distress;  that  poverty  is  the  main- 
spring of  human  woe,  and  that,  correspondingly, 
the  greatest  good  is  money,  wealth.  This  seems 
to  be  the  prevailing  idea  in  the  minds  of  many 
Americans  to-day.  We  are  said  to  worship  the 
*' Almighty  Dollar."  This  we  believe  to  be  a  libel 
upon  the  American  people.  But  we  see  also 
much  ground  for  the  accusation  in  the  eagerness 
to  amass  fortunes  and  in  the  materialistic  direc- 
tion taken  by  so  much  of  our  endeavor.  Wealth, 
however,  cannot  be  the  greatest  boon,  for  in 
many  cases  it  proves  to  be  the  greatest  of  curses, 
and  those  who  have  the  most  of  it  seldom  regard 
themselves  as  most  fortunate.  Xerxes,  with  all 
of  his  wealth  of  armies,  fleets  and  countless  gold, 
was  far  from  happy,  and  offered  a  prize  to  the 
inventor  of  some  new  pleasure.  Men  in  all  ages 
have  sought  to  find  the  chief  good  in  wealth, 
only  to  be  disappointed.  And  one,  whose  author- 
ity has  never  been  questioned,  has  said,  "What 
shall  it  profit  a  man,  if  he  gain  the  whole  world 
and  lose  his  own  soul?"  And  of  another,  who 
had  amassed  great  wealth  and  felt  that  he  had  the 
greatest  good,  it  was  said,  "Thou  fool!  this  night 
shall  thy  soul  be  required  of  thee;  then  whose 
shall  those  things  be  which  thou  hast  provided? 
So  is  he  that  layeth  up  treasure  for  himself,  and 
is  not  rich  toward  God. ' ' 

Again,  it  has  been  said  that  power,  or  conquest, 


34   THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD 

is  the  greatest  good.  We  have  seen  an  Alex- 
ander, driven  by  this  thought,  sweep  over  a  whole 
world  with  restless  might,  conquering  everything 
before  him.  And  yet,  when  he  had  been  uni- 
formly successful  and  was  without  a  foe  resisting, 
we  are  told  that  he  "sat  down  and  wept  because 
there  were  no  more  worlds  to  conquer."  Surely, 
that  which  is  of  highest  worth,  when  won,  should 
be  all-satisfying. 

Others  have  said  that  ignorance  is  the  cause  of 
the  greatest  evil,  and  that  knowledge  must,  conse- 
quentl)^,  be  the  greatest  good.  In  all  ages  of  the 
world  there  have  been  those  of  higher  perception 
who  have  felt  that  knowledge  is  the  greatest  of 
all  boons.  The  student  spends  years  of  hardest 
toil  in  pursuit  of  this  great  good.  Men  and 
women  of  great  perseverance  and  faith  have  spent 
a  lifetime  of  active  research  in  the  attempt  to  add 
something  to  the  volume  of  knowledge.  Surely, 
this  is  a  noble  aim ;  this  is  a  lofty  conception  of 
life.  But  knowledge  in  itself  cannot  be  the 
supreme  good  in  life.  I  recall  that  Socrates 
prayed:  "O,  Pan,  make  me  to  know  that  he  is 
rich  who  is  wise" ;  and,  though  this  must  ever  be 
regarded  as  a  very  high  ideal,  yet  there  was  a 
greater  teacher  than  Socrates  in  view  of  whose 
teachings  even  this  high  conception  must  be 
regarded  as  falling  short  of  the  highest.  Thus 
we  have  seen  a  few  of  the  answers  that  have  been 
given  to  the  question,  "What  is  the  chief  good?" 


THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD    35 

Is  it  health?  Is  it  pleasure?  Is  it  wealth?  Is  it 
power?  Is  it  knowledge?  Men  have  answered 
the  question  so  differently.  Is  it  a  question, 
after  all,  of  real  importance? 

2.  A  radical  difference  between  man  and  the 
lower  animals  is  that  lower  animals  always  act  by 
instinct,  while  the  acts  of  man  are  put  forth 
in  view  of  a  rational  choice.  The  horse  eats, 
sleeps,  and  spends  its  time  in  various  ways,  not  in 
view  of  any  ultimate  end  at  which  it  has  arrived 
by  a  course  of  reasoning,  but  impelled  by  the 
inborn  laws  of  its  own  existence  which  we  call 
instinct.  It  does  not  live  according  to  any 
plan,  or  in  view  of  any  final  purpose.  Man, 
however,  is  a  reasoning  animal,  and  acts  in  view 
of  certain  ends  to  be  attained.  True  it  is  that 
some,  whom  by  courtesy  we  call  men,  do  not 
seem  to  have  any  aim  in  existence,  and  do  not 
live  tmder  the  impulse  of  any  end  to  be  attained, 
people  who  seem  to  drift  here  and  there  as  the 
tide  ebbs  or  flows.  But  even  they,  in  the 
final  analysis,  are  seen  to  act  always,  consciously 
or  unconsciously,  in  view  of  certain  ends  to 
be  attained.  It  may  be,  indeed,  a  very  ignoble 
one,  as  the  gambler's  aim,  to  get  as  much  as 
possible  for  nothing;  or  the  tramp's,  to  do  as 
little  work  as  possible.  Or  man's  final  purpose 
in  conscious  or  unconscious  view  of  which  all  of 
his  acts  are  put  forth,  may  be  a  noble  impulse, 
which  drives  him  on  with  terrible  zeal,  and  will 


36    THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD 

not  let  him  rest,  until  the  end  desired  has  been 
achieved. 

Now,  the  determining  of  the  question,  "What 
is  the  best  thing-  in  life?"  will  have  a  very  decided 
influence  in  determining  what  the  final  purpose 
of  one's  life  shall  be.  Moreover,  whatever 
becomes  the  final  purpose  of  one's  life  will 
become  the  determining  factor  in  all  of  one's 
thoughts,  feelings  and  actions.  It  will  determine 
the  employment  of  one's  time;  will  give  direc- 
tion to  one's  endeavors;  will  mould  one's  habits 
and  determine  one's  character;  and  character 
here  will  determine  destiny  hereafter.  As  some 
one  has  so  truly  said: 

"  Sow  a  thought,  you  reap  a  deed; 
Sow  a  deed,  you  reap  a  habit ; 
Sow  a  habit,  you  reap  a  character; 
Sow  a  character,  you  reap  a  destiny." 

The  determining,  then,  of  what  is  the  best  thing 
in  the  world  is  the  settlement  of  a  question  of 
supreme  importance,  a  question  of  far-reaching 
results,  a  question  which  determines  character 
and  destiny. 

Sad  would  it  be  for  us,  if  we  were  left  in  such  an 
important  matter  to  the  conflicting  opinions  of 
men  simpl}^,  men  who  have  differed  so  widely  as 
to  what  is  of  supreme  worth.  Fortunate  indeed 
are  we  that  we  have  a  higher  court,  a  court  of 
ultimate    appeal,   a     tribuiml     whose    authority. 


THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD   37 

trustworthiness  and  honor  have  never  been 
impeached,  a  teacher  of  whom  even  his  enemies 
said,  "No  man  ever  so  spake." 

In  view,  then,  of  the  conflicting  opinions  of  men, 
in  view  of  the  supreme  importance  of  the  ques- 
tion, we  refer  it  for  final  solution  to  the  great 
teacher  come  from  God,  the  Christ  of  Nazareth. 

3.  To  the  unerring  mind  of  Christ,  to  him  who 
was  the  light  of  the  world,  to  him  who  was  the 
way,  the  truth  and  the  life,  all  things  appeared  as 
they  really  are.  He  alone  saw  with  undimmed 
vision,  and  declared  the  fact,  that  the  greatest  evil 
of  existence  is  not  physical  evil,  not  poverty  of 
pocket,  limitation  of  power,  or  ignorance  of  mind, 
but  domination  of  self  and  selfishness;  that  the 
great  sickness  of  the  world,  and  of  each  indi- 
vidual in  it,  is  sin,  which  is  the  expression  of  sel- 
fishness ;  that  the  great  need  of  each  individual  is 
to  be  freed  from  the  dominion  of  self  and  sin. 
Accordingly,  he  came  not  as  the  deliverer  from 
the  dominion  of  Rome,  for  that  was  not  the  great 
need.  He  came  to  deliver  mankind  from  them- 
selves. In  accord,  then,  with  the  chief  purpose 
of  his  divine  mission,  in  two  of  his  parables 
Christ  set  forth  the  truth  concerning  what  was  of 
supreme  worth.  He  taught  that  the  chief  good, 
the  thing  to  be  won,  even  at  the  loss  of  all  things 
else,  if  necessary,  the  thing  of  supreme  value  to 
every  person,  irrespective  of  age,  sex  or  condi- 
tion, the  thing  worthy  of  supreme  regard,  was  the 


S8   THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD 

kingdom  of  heaven;  not  referring  in  these  say- 
ings to  the  kingdom  of  heaven  as  an  external, 
visible  society,  as  that  reign  of  equity  and  peace 
which  shall  ultimately  subdue  the  world  and 
usher  in  a  new  order  of  things,  a  new  heaven  and 
a  new  earth  in  which  dwelleth  righteousness ;  not 
having  in  mind,  I  take  it,  this  aspect  of  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  so  much  as  the  idea  of  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  as  an  internal,  individual 
possession,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  within  every 
man's  heart,  the  result  of  Christ's  purifying  and 
peace-giving  presence.*  This  kingdom  of  heaven, 
as  an  individual  possession,  is  the  greatest  indi- 
vidual good;  this  is  the  thing  of  supreme  value. 
Christ  said,  "The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto 
a  treasure  hidden  in  the  field;  which  a  man  found 
and  hid,  and  in  his  joy  he  goeth  and  selleth  all 
that  he  hath,  and  buyeth  that  field. ' '  And,  again, 
in  calling  attention  to  the  superlative  value  of  the 
kingdom,  he  said,  "Again,  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  like  unto  a  merchant  seeking  goodly 
pearls :  and  having  found  one  pearl  of  great  price, 
he  went  and  sold  all  that  he  had,  and  bought  it." 
Not  only  in  these  two  parables,  but  in  other 
striking  teachings  of  the  Savior  the  same  truth  is 
emphasized.  "Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God 
and  his  righteousness. ' '     Why  first  ?     First  in  time 

*In  this  Sermon  and  in  "Gradual  Growth"  the  author 
desires  to  express  his  great  obligations  to  the  writings  of 
Prof.  A.  B.  Bruce. 


THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD   39 

and  first  in  importance,  because  it  is  of  supreme 
worth.  Again,  he  said,  "Let  the  dead  bury  their 
dead,  but  go  thou  and  preach  the  kingdom  of 
God, "  i.  e. ,  even  the  most  sacred  rites  and  cere- 
monies are  to  be  held  in  less  esteem  than  the 
kingdom  of  God.  It  alone  is  of  supreme  value. 
"No  man  having  put  his  hand  to  the  plow  and 
looking  back  is  fit  for  the  kingdom  of  God."  It 
deserves  undivided  allegiance,  and  should  be  held 
in  highest  regard.  And  again,  "He  that  loveth 
father  or  mother  more  than  me  is  not  worthy  of 
me;  and  he  that  loveth  son  or  daughter  more 
than  me  is  not  worthy  of  me. ' '  Christ  and  his 
kingdom  alone  are  worthy  of  the  highest  place. 
There  can  be  no  doubt,  then,  from  these  par- 
ables and  sayings,  as  to  the  mind  of  the  Master 
regarding  the  chief  good. 

Let  us  note,  in  passing,  to  what  in  these  two 
parables  our  Master  likens  this  chief  good.  In 
the  first  parable  it  is  likened  unto  a  treasure  hid 
in  a  field,  and  in  the  second  to  a  pearl  of  great 
price.  Both  of  these  comparisons  are,  at  first 
thought,  rather  surprising.  Why  liken  this  great- 
est of  all  blessings  to  a  treasure  hid  in  a  field?  Is 
there,  then,  no  more  probability  of  one  obtaining 
it  than  of  one  finding  a  hid  treasure?  Then, 
indeed,  most  of  us  would  best  give  up  the  quest 
at  once  And  why  compare  this  greatest  good  to 
so  common  a  jewel  as  a  pearl?  Surely  the 
diamond,  the  largest  of  diamonds,  rather  than  a 


40   THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD 

pearl  of  great  price,  would  be  a  more  appropriate 
parallel.  But  in  both  of  these  queries  we  have 
lost  sight  of  a  very  important  consideration  which 
must  always  be  kept  in  view  when  interpreting 
the  Bible.  While  the  Bible,  under  the  far-reach- 
ing providence  of  God,  was  intended  as  a  book  for 
all  times  and  all  places,  and  as  a  revelation  of 
God's  will  to  all  peoples  in  every  age  of  the  world, 
yet  it  arose  out  of  historical  situations.  Its 
peculiar  forms  of  thought  and  illustration  were 
moulded  with  reference,  primarily,  to  the  force- 
ful teaching  of  the  original  hearers  and  readers. 
And  we  must  remember  that  while  it  is  the  Bible 
for  the  world,  it  is  also  peculiarly  oriental,  and 
has  the  ear-marks  of  the  ages  which  form  its  back- 
ground. Christ  was  speaking  to  an  oriental 
audience  in  the  first  century  of  this  era.  The 
hiding  of  treasure  in  a  field,  or  in  the  caverns  of 
the  hill-side,  in  that  time  and  place  of  frequent 
robberies,  when  banks,  safety  deposit  vaults  and 
sure  investments  were  not  known,  was  a  very 
common  way  of  concealing  valuables,  and  the 
chance  finding  of  such  hidden  treasure  was  also  a 
common  occurrence.  And  the  fact  of  the  treasure 
being  hid  is  but  an  evidence  of  its  value  as  being 
worth  hiding.  Again,  the  diamond,  which,  in 
our  day,  is  the  usual  symbol  of  priceless  value, 
was,  in  the  times  of  Christ,  comparatively 
unknown,  and  the  pearl  occupied  as  a  symbol  of 
value  a  similar  place  in  the  oriental  mind  to  the 


THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD   41 

diamond  in  ours.  You  recall  that  the  lavish  dis- 
play of  wealth  made  by  Cleopatra  reached  its 
culmination  in  pearls  of  magnificent  worth,  some 
of  which  were  estimated  at  a  value  equal  to 
$500,000  of  our  money.  When  she  wished  to 
manifest  her  reckless  devotion  to  Antony,  it  was 
priceless  pearls  that  were  so  rashly  sacrificed. 
Had  Christ  in  his  day  compared  the  supreme 
worth  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  to  the  worth  of 
a  priceless  diamond,  he  would  have  used  an 
illustration  wholly  beyond  the  comprehension  of 
his  hearers,  the  common  people.  There  is,  then, 
no  doubt  as  to  the  teaching  of  Christ  concerning 
the  greatest  good.  The  thing  of  supreme  worth 
to  every  individual  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven  as 
an  individual  possession,  the  result  of  the  purify- 
ing and  peace-giving  presence  of  Jesus  in  the 
believer's  soul.  Not  health  of  body,  not  pleas- 
ure, not  wealth,  not  power,  not  knowledge  even ; 
none  of  these  things  is  the  chief  good,  but  the 
kingdom  of  God  incarnated  in  the  individual. 
This  is  the  one  thing  of  supreme  worth,  the  one 
thing  of  highest  value  to  every  person,  irrespec- 
tive of  age,  sex  or  condition. 

4.  This  is  the  chief  good,  but  many  do  not  so 
regard  it.  In  the  parables  of  the  Sower  and  of 
the  Great  Supper,  Christ  clearly  set  forth  the  atti- 
tude of  many  toward  the  kingdom.  Some,  the 
wayside  hearers,  are  entirely  indifferent  to  its 
worth.        Some,     the     stony     ground     hearers. 


42    THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD 

impulsively  seize  upon  it;  but  their  emotion, 
supported  by  no  depth  of  conviction,  does  not 
long  continue,  and  the  chief  good  soon  disappears 
from  view.  Others,  the  thorny  ground  hearers, 
take  it  into  their  lives,  but  fail  to  recognize  that 
it  must  have  supreme  and  absolute  control; 
other  things  are  given  a  greater  or  less  degree  of 
allegiance,  and,  sooner  or  later,  these  other  and 
antagonistic  things  dethrone  the  chief  good  and 
drive  it  out  from  any  practical  control  of  the  life. 
But  others  there  are,  the  good  ground  hearers, 
who  regard  the  kingdom  as  the  one  supreme 
thing,  the  one  thing  of  superlative  worth,  deserv- 
ing of  highest  place  and  absolute  loyalty.  These 
make  Christian  character  the  one  end  of  life,  and 
they  alone  succeed  in  making  the  kingdom  truly 
their  own.  Again,  in  the  parable  of  the  Great 
Supper,  the  Master  taught  how  men  are  con- 
tinually putting  other  things  less  worthy  in  the 
place  of  the  chief  good.  This  chief  good  is  rep- 
resented as  a  great  feast  and  many  are  invited. 
But  one  regards  the  land  which  he  has  recently 
purchased  of  more  importance ;  a  second  one  con- 
siders his  yoke  of  oxen  more  valuable;  while  a 
third  much  prefers  the  company  of  his  newly 
married  wife.  All  of  these  things  were  good  in 
themselves,  but  the  feast  should  have  been  the 
thing  of  supreme  moment.  And  to-day  there  are 
many  people  absorbed  in  things  that  in  them- 
selves are  all  right,  but  which,  when  they  take 


THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD   43 

the  place  that  belongs  to  the  chief  good,  become 
a  curse  instead  of  a  blessing.  One  of  the  most 
important  lessons  of  life  is  to  learn  to  keep  things 
in  their  proper  place,  to  put  that  first  which 
ought  to  be  first,  and  never  to  let  that  which  is  of 
secondary  importance  get  our  primary  allegiance. 
And  we  need  so  to  live  and  to  learn  and  to  pray, 
that  we  may  have  an  undimmed  vision  of  that 
which  is  of  highest  value,  and  that  we  may  keep 
that  thing  of  highest  worth  as  our  one  chief  aim. 
5.  The  true  attitude  of  every  man  toward  this 
greatest  good  is  taught  by  Christ  in  the  parables 
read  at  the  beginning  of  the  hour.  The  man  who 
found  the  hidden  treasure  and  perceived  that  this 
was  the  most  valuable  thing,  gladly  went  and  sold 
all  that  he  had  and  bought  the  field;  while  he 
that  found  the  pearl  of  great  price  disposed  of  all 
his  other  pearls  in  order  to  obtain  this  one,  which 
he  saw  was  better  than  all  others.  This  is  the 
attitude  demanded  of  all  who  would  make  this 
kingdom  their  own.  The  promise  is,  *'Ye  shall 
seek  me  and  ye  shall  find  me,  when  ye  search  for 
me  with  all  your  heart. ' '  The  answer  given  to 
the  rich  young  man,  who  worshiped  his  wealth 
and  who  desired  to  know  what  he  must  do  to 
inherit  the  kingdom,  was,  ''Go,  sell  all  that  thou 
hast  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt  have 
treasure  in  heaven."  Whatever  stands  in  the 
way  must  be  sacrificed.  Other  idols  must  be 
dethroned.     This  is  the  price  which  must  be  paid 


44   THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD 

for  the  kingdom.  A  large  factor  in  determining 
the  worth  of  an  article  is  the  cost  of  production, 
and  this  highest  good,  Christian  character,  is  the 
most  costly  of  all  products.  It  cost  the  Son  of 
God  an  infinite  price,  paid  with  his  own  precious 
blood,  that  it  might  become  possible  for  us.  It 
will  cost  us  a  lifetime  of  self-denial  and  devotion 
before  we  make  it  fully  our  own.  Let  no 
one  suppose  that  this  in  any  wa}^  contradicts  the 
freedom  of  God's  offer  of  salvation.  We  are 
saved  by  grace;  it  is  the  gift  of  God;  not  of 
works,  lest  any  man  should  glory;  and  yet  we 
are  urged  to  work  out  our  own  salvation  with 
fear  and  trembling;  for  it  is  God  that  worketh  in 
us  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure. 
We  are  freely  made  sons  of  God  through  faith  in 
Christ ;  but  we  need  also  to  grow  in  grace  and  in 
the  knowledge  of  his  will,  and  to  strive  to  attain 
to  the  fullness  of  the  stature  of  men  and  women 
in  Christ.  If  we  are  to  attain  to  full  Christian 
manhood,  we  need  to  put  the  kingdom  first.  We 
need  to  be  willing  to  sacrifice  all  other  things  to 
this  one  supreme  end.  We  need  to  put  out  of 
our  lives  all  things  which  hinder,  in  any  way,  the 
winning  in  the  fullest  sense  this  supreme  good. 
We  need  to  subordinate  and  bring  under  the 
demands  of  Christian  character  all  other  pursuits, 
the  acquisition  of  wealth,  the  pursuit  of  pleasure, 
the  winning  of  fame,  or  the  getting  of  knowledge. 
We  must  first  be  Christians,   then  learned  law- 


THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD    45 

/ers,  successful  doctors,  wealthy  merchants  and 
honored  workers  in  other  lines  as  calling  and 
industry  may  permit.  What  the  church  and  the 
world  need  to-day  above  all  things  else  is  men 
and  women  who  will  put  Christian  character  first. 
To-day  the  striking  spectacle  is  witnessed  of 
thousands  of  men  seeking  places,  and  thousands 
of  places  seeking  men.  There  are  plenty  of 
places  and  plenty  of  applicants;  but  there 
are  so  few  men  and  women.  Over  the  door 
of  every  profession  and  vocation  in  life  there 
has  always  been  a  standing  advertisement: 
"Wanted,  Men."  Not  dwarfs,  not  pigmies, 
not  lopsided  freaks;  but  well-developed,  sym- 
metrical men.  Men  with  large  hearts  as  well 
as  heads,  trained  to  feel  and  to  act  as  well  as  to 
think.  Men  who  are  larger  than  their  profes- 
sions, who  care  more  for  character  than  reputa- 
tion, more  for  integrity  than  honor,  more  for 
manhood  than  money.  Whatever,  then,  is  your 
profession  or  occupation  in  life,  be  it  to  handle 
"plow  or  plane,  the  pick  or  the  pen,"  be  it 
humble  or  high,  prominent  or  obscure,  whatever 
your  occupation,  make  Christian  manhood  your 
business.  Be  willing,  in  seeking  this  highest 
good,  to  act  as  men  in  other  lines  act,  when  they 
are  pursuing  what  they  falsely  suppose  to  be  of 
highest  worth.  Let  us  give  ourselves  unreserv- 
edly to  it.  Let  us  make  it  the  passion  of  our 
lives.     Pursue  it  with  unflagging  zeal.     Give  it 


46   THE  BEST  THING  IN  THE  WORLD 

the  devotion  of  a  Nathan  Hale,  who  nobly  said, 
"I  regret  that  I  have  but  one  life  to  give  to  my 
country."  Pursue  it  with  the  perseverance  of  a 
Paul,  who  said,  "This  one  thing  I  do,  forgetting 
the  things  which  are  behind,  and  reaching  forth 
unto  those  things  which  are  before,  I  press  toward 
the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God 
in  Christ  Jesus!"  If,  then,  we  make  Christian 
character  the  chief  end  of  life,  and  pursue  it  with 
the  diligence  and  devotion  that  it  deserves,  the 
days  spent  here  will  be  a  joy  and  a  blessing  to 
ourselves  and  to  others;  and  over  yonder  there 
will  be  a  larger  and  fuller  development  of  the 
life  which  here  was  only  begun. 

"  Wanted  Men! 
Not  systems  fit  and  wise ; 
Not  faiths  with  rigid  eyes ; 
Not  wealth  in  mountain  piles ; 
Not  power  with  gracious  smiles; 
Not  even  the  potent  pen ; 
Wanted  Men!" 


Christ  the  Motive  Power 

-^•^•^ 

2  Cor.  3:14. — ''For  the  love  of   Christ   constraineth  us" 
(impels  lis,   drives  us  on). 

Oj£|  O^  Oh^ 

NE  of  the  most  interesting  and  far-reaching 
questions  in  the  wide-awake,  scientific 
world  of  to-day  is  the  question  of  motive 
power.  What  force,  what  power  is  best  adapted  to 
turn  the  wheels  of  manufacture,  to  whirl  our 
trains  across  the  continent,  to  speed  our  ships  over 
the  seas  and  to  drive  our  cars  through  the  streets 
of  our  rapidly  growing  cities?  What  force  is  to 
furnish  the  enginery  of  civilization?  This  is  now 
the  great  question  in  the  scientific  world. 

Likewise,  in  the  moral  world  as  well  as  in  the 
physical  world,  the  great  question  from  the  begin- 
ning of  time  has  been  the  question  of  motive 
power.  What  force,  what  power  is  sufficient  to 
reach  down  and  take  hold  of  weak,  selfish,  sin- 
cursed  men  and  women,  living  in  the  malarial 
swamps  of  evil,  and  lift  them  up  to  a  higher, 
purer  plane  of  life?  What  force  is  sufficient  to 
enable  man  to  break  the  bonds  of  self  and  to  get 
free  from  the  toils  of  sin? 

47 


48       CHRIST    THE    MOTIVE    POWER 

Various  systems  of  philosophy  and  religion 
have  been  offered  as  a  cure  for  the  ills  of  sin,  and 
as  a  sufficient  inspiration  to  a  higher,  better  life. 
The  main  difference  between  them  has  been  a 
difference  of  motive  power,  and  their  failure  or 
partial  success  has  been  due  to  the  inefficiency 
or  the  partial  sufficiency  of  the  motive  power 
provided.  In  the  far-reaching  providence  of 
God,  these  systems  have  been  allowed  or  inspired 
to  prove  their  own  insufficiency,  and  to  prepare 
the  way  for  the  only  religion  which  ever  has  been 
offered,  or  would  be  offered  with  a  motive  power 
adequate  for  the  purpose.  Three  great  nations 
of  antiquity  preceded  the  coming  of  Christ,  and 
each  in  its  own,  or  rather  in  God's  own  way,  pre- 
pared the  way  for  his  coming.  Each  of  them 
offered  a  motive  power  to  a  higher  life,  which 
proved  defective,  and  w^hich  only  made  more 
manifest  to  the  world  the  world's  need  of  some- 
thing better.  Consider,  then,  with  me  this  morn- 
ing three  huge  failures  and  one  magnificent 
success : 

THREE    HUGE    FAILURES 

I.  Greece:  The  God  of  Greece  was  culture. 
The  Greeks  tried  to  furnish  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  intellect  a  motive  power  sufficiently  strong  to 
uplift  and  save  man.  The  sense  of  "the  noble, 
the  beautiful  and  the  true,"  aroused  in  man,  was 
to  restrain    him    from  the    shame,   ugliness  and 


CHRIST    THE    MOTIVE    POWER       49 

falsity  of  sin.  Proper  perception  of  the  real 
worth  of  things  would  be  a  motive  sufficient  to 
lead  a  man  to  choose  the  better  and  to  reject  the 
worse.  But  should  the  question  arise,  "How 
arouse  this  saving  sense  of  'the  noble,  the  beauti- 
ful and  the  true'?"  how  give  men  a  proper  per- 
ception of  the  real  worth  of  things?  The  answer 
the  Greek  gave  was,  "By  education."  The 
highest  representative  of  this  idea  was  Socrates, 
who  through  his  pupil,  Plato,  has  given  us  a 
most  profound  attempt  to  uplift  and  save  the 
race. 

Plato  believed  in  a  personal,  self-conscious, 
supreme  Being,  a  God;  but  a  God  afar  off, 
entirely  beyond  the  ken  of  man,  surrounded  with 
mystery  and  himself  unknowable.  But  side  by 
side  with  this  far-off,  unknowable  God  was  a 
world  of  patterns,  models,  divine  ideals,  accord- 
ing to  which  all  visible  things  in  this  material 
world  of  ours  are  formed,  and  of  which  models 
the  visible  world  is  but  an  imperfect  copy.  Now 
and  then,  Plato  believed,  there  is  a  man  of  acute 
mental  perception,  of  keen  spiritual  insight,  a 
philosopher  perhaps,  who  is  caught  up  to  a  third 
heaven,  as  it  were,  upon  the  wings  of  inspiration, 
and  from  this  mountain  top  is  given  a  sight,  a 
vision  of  these  patterns,  models,  forms  of  the 
divine  mind,  of  which  our  world  is  the  imperfect 
copy.  This  beatific  vision  would  be  forever 
afterwards  an  inspiration  to  draw  him  to  higher 


50       CHRIST    THE    MOTIVE    POWER 

things.  This  was  a  beautiful  conception  of  Plato's, 
but  alas !  it  had  two  serious  defects.  This  vision  at 
best  lasted  but  a  moment,  and  was  not  long 
enough  continued,  nor  oft  enough  repeated  to 
prove  a  lifetime  inspiration.  And  then,  too,  only 
those  of  keenest  intellect  could  have  this  vision. 
No  provision  was  made  for  the  salvation  of  the 
average  man.  Only  a  very  few  at  the  most  could 
ever  be  saved.  And  so  the  best  that  Greece,  the 
best  that  culture,  could  do,  failed  to  change  the 
life,  to  restrain  from  sin,  or  to  renew  the  heart. 

2.  Rome:  The  God  of  Rome  was  law.  The 
fundamental  trait  of  Roman  character  was 
reverence  for  authority,  and  a  habit  of  absolute 
obedience.  This  was  the  developing  principle  in 
the  formation  of  the  national  life.  To  the  Roman 
boy,  the  father  of  the  family  was  the  expression 
of  absolute  authority  (the  Roman  father  had  the 
power  of  life  and  death  over  his  children) ;  when 
the  boy  became  a  man,  the  state  bore  to  him  a 
similar  relation.  He  in  Rome  was  most  virtuous, 
most  excellent,  who  advanced  in  the  highest 
degree  the  welfare  of  the  state;  and  since  con- 
quest was  the  prevailing  aim  of  the  state,  per- 
sonal bravery  and  military  prowess  became  the 
chief  good.  This  for  a  time  produced  a  sturdy 
type  of  character,  the  valiant  Roman.  But  as 
soon  as  the  state  itself  became  corrupt,  as  soon 
as  the  fathers  themselves  became  weaklings, 
reverence  for  law  and  authority  died,  and  Rome 


CHRIST    THE    MOTIVE    POWER       51 

rotted.  External  law  proved  insufficient  to 
change  the  life,  to  restrain  from  sin,  or  to  renew 
the  heart. 

3.  The  Jews:  Again,  the  Jewish  people  were 
given  by  God  a  special  capacity  for  religion,  and 
were  taken  by  him  to  be  the  chosen  medium  of 
revelation  by  means  of  the  preparatory  system  of 
Judaism.  Judaism  was  a  religion  largely  of 
externals;  of  rites  and  ceremonies;  pictures,  to 
be  sure,  of  high  spiritual  realities,  but  not  given 
as  a  final  religion,  or  as  an  ultimate  solution  of  the 
question  of  moral  motive  power.  It  was  only 
preparatory.  In  the  far-reaching  providence  of 
God,  it  was  used  to  demonstrate  the  insufficiency 
of  the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats,  as  an  offering  for 
sin,  and  of  external  rites  and  ceremonies,  as  a 
motive  power  to  uplift  to  holiness,  no  matter 
how  grand,  imposing  and  awe-inspiring  these 
rites  and  ceremonies  might  be.  The  law  was,  as 
Paul  has  told  us,  only  a  school-master  to  lead  us 
unto  Christ.  It  was  never  intended  as  a  sufficient 
motive  power  to  change  the  life,  to  restrain  from 
sin,  or  to  renew  the  heart. 

Thus  was  the  world  prepared  by  three  great 
failures  to  witness  the  fact  of  one  magnificent 
success. 

ONE  GREAT  SUCCESS 

In  the  fullness  of  time  Christ  came  to  an 
expectant  but  sin-beclouded  world.     To  a  world 


52       CHRIST    THE    MOTIVE    POWER 

that  had  witnessed  the  failure  of  culture,  the 
height  of  attainment  of  law,  and  the  impotence 
of  ritual;  to  a  weary,  disappointed,  sin-enslaved 
world,  needing,  oh!  so  sadl}^  some  mighty 
motive  power  v/hich  should  come  down  with  the 
omnipotence  of  God,  and  lift  up  fallen  and  falling 
humanity  to  a  higher,  purer  air.  To  such  a 
world,  God  came  in  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ. 
God,  not  now  "The  Unknowable,"  far  removed 
beyond  the  ken  of  man;  not  a  God  of  Mystery 
enshrined  in  a  secret  Holy  of  Holies,  and 
approached  only  through  symbolic  sacrifices 
and  clouds  of  incense ;  but  God  manifest  in  the 
flesh — God  with  us.  Immanuel,  in  human  form, 
with  human  sympathies,  and  in  intimate  relation- 
ship with  men.  And  as  Jesus,  Son  of  God  and 
Son  of  Man,  "went  about  doing  good,"  he  said  to 
those  who  had  failed  to  find  elsewhere  a  sufficient 
force  to  uplift,  "Follow  me";  and  to  those 
wearied  by  futile  efforts  to  find  release  from  self 
and  sin,  "Come  unto  me,  all  ye  who  labor  and 
are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take 
my  yoke  upon  you  and  learn  of  me,  for  I  am 
meek  and  lowly  in  heart,  and  ye  shall  find  rest 
unto  your  souls."  To  the  darkness  of  the  world 
he  said,  "I  am  the  light  of  the  v/orld. "  To 
those  seeking  truth  he  said,  "I  am  the  way,  the 
truth  and  the  life";  and  speaking  of  the  power 
which  his  life  and  death  were  to  have  in  the 
world,   he  said,    "And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up,  will 


CHRIST    THE    MOTIVE    POWER       53 

draw  all  men  unto  me."  Three  and  a  half  years 
were  thus  spent  in  intimate  contact  with  men, 
during  which  he  continually  referred  to  himself 
as  the  one  source  of  light  and  life.  And  when,  at 
the  end  of  his  earthly  ministry  in  the  flesh,  he 
hung  upon  the  cross;  when  Greece  with  culture, 
and  Rome  with  external  law,  and  the  Hebrews 
with  ritual  had  failed  to  save;  in  the  day  of  his 
apparent  defeat,  but  of  his  real  victory,  these  three 
great  nations  of  antiqtiity  bore  unwilling  witness 
to  their  own  insufficiency  and  to  his  almightiness, 
when,  over  that  cross  on  Golgotha,  it  was  written 
in  Greek,  in  Latin,  and  in  Hebrew,  "This  is 
Jesus,  the  King  of  the  Jews."  Here  is  a  motive 
sufficient.  Here  is  power.  Here  is  the  King. 
Three  days  he  lay  in  the  grave,  after  which  he 
arose  from  the  dead,  because  the  tomb  could  no 
longer  hold  him.  During  the  space  of  forty  days 
he  showed  himself  alive  to  his  brethren,  and 
talked  with  them  concerning  the  things  of  the 
Kingdom;  and  when  at  last  he  left  for  a  time 
their  mortal  vision,  he  said,  "Go,  carry  on  my 
work  in  my  strength,  for  lo,  I  (in  the  person  of 
the  Holy  Spirit)  am  with  you  all  the  days."  So 
they  went  forth  to  their  work,  walking  and  talk- 
ing with  Jesus,  living  and  working  daily  in  con- 
stant and  conscious  communion  with  the  Spirit, 
and  under  the  impetus  of  his  love  for  them  and 
their  love  for  him.  So  also  Paul,  having  been 
converted  at  the  sight  of  this  same  Jesus,  was 


54      CHRIST    THE    MOTIVE    POWER 

consumed  with  love  for  him ;  was  driven  on  from 
place  to  place  in  zealous  activity  and  service; 
impelled  by  a  personal,  passionate  attachment  for 
Christ.  In  his  second  letter  to  the  Corinthians  he 
explains  the  secret  of  his  zeal  by  the  words  of  the 
text,  "For  the  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us; 
because  we  thus  judge,  that  one  died  for  all, 
therefore  all  died ;  and  he  died  for  all,  that  they 
who  live  should  no  longer  live  unto  themselves, 
but  unto  him  who  for  their  sake  died  and  rose 
again."  Here,  then,  is  the  motive  power,  "The 
love  of  Christ." 

Thus  we  see  that  the  power  of  Christianity  was 
not  to  be  the  power  of  a  creed,  nor  the  power  of  a 
ritual,  nor  even  (I  say  it  reverently)  the  power 
of  a  book ;  but  the  power  of  a  person.  Christ  in 
us.  The  source,  center  and  goal  of  Christianity 
is  Christ.  Christ  is  Christianity.  Strange  is  it 
that  a  part  of  the  church  should  have  for  so  long 
a  time  lost  sight  of  this  fact,  and  buried  the  Christ 
under  ritual  and  creed  and  ceremony.  A  hopeful 
sign  is  it  for  church  and  college  and  the  world, 
when  from  all  sides  in  these  thoughtful  days, 
when  men  are  trying  to  find  the  secret  of  our  lack 
of  power;  a  hopeful  sign  is  it,  when  high  theo- 
logians and  humble  evangelists,  devout  students 
and  a  hungry  church,  all  unite  in  the  agonizing 
cry,  "Back  to  Christ,  give  us  Christ,  we  must 
re-discover  Christ."  To  those  who  inquire, 
"Why  is  not  the  church  more  powerful?  why  are 


CHRIST    THE    MOTIVE    POWER       55 

so  many  Christians  without  power?"  the  sorrowful 
answer  of  Mary  is  heard  in  reply,  "Because  they 
have  taken  away  my  Lord  and  I  know  not  where 
they  have  laid  him."  The  person  of  Christ  is  the 
motive  power  in  Christianity.  Personality  is 
always  power  and  the  only  real  power.  The  his- 
tory of  the  world  reveals  the  power  of  person- 
ality. The  history  of  the  world  is  but  the  history 
of  a  few  great  men.  History  is  mostly  biography. 
Men  make  history.  The  history  of  missions 
reveals  the  power  of  personality.  The  history  of 
education  bears  witness  to  the  same  fact,  the 
power  of  persons.  The  history  of  revelation 
reveals  the  same  fact.  The  Bible  is  not  an 
abstract  statement  of  theology.  A  large  part  of 
the  Bible  is  history;  much  of  it  simply  biog- 
raphy. God  has  revealed  truth  through  men. 
Men  live  truth,  thus  truth  becomes  alive  and 
powerful,  because  personal.  So  in  Christianity, 
the  center  and  source  of  power  is  the  Person  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

THE    POWER    OF    CHRIST 

I.  Now,  the  power  of  Christ  depends  first  upon 
his  character  and  work.  The  amount  of  power 
which  any  one  has  in  this  world,  other  things 
being  equal,  is  in  proportion  to  the  purity  and 
sincerity  of  one's  life.  Dear  friends,  young  and 
old,  let  us  never  forget  this.  You  and  I  will  have 
power  in  this  world,  other  things  being  equal,  to 


56       CHRIST    THE    MOTIVE    POWER 

the  degree  that  our  lives  are  pure  and  sincere.  In 
proportion  as  these  elements  of  purity  and 
sincerity  are  lacking-,  power  will  be  lacking. 
Let  us  recall  the  purity  and  sincerity  of  the  life  of 
Christ.  He  could  always  meet  the  opposition  of 
his  foes  with  the  brave  challenge,  "Who  con- 
victeth  me  of  sin?"  It  is  sincerity  that  gives 
courage  and  power.  The  insincere  man  is  always 
a  coward.  "Conscience  doth  make  cowards  of  us 
all."  Christ  could  teach  the  highest  precepts 
with  absolute  authority,  because  his  practice 
always  accorded  with  his  precepts.  He  was  the 
most  influential  teacher  that  ever  lived,  not  simply 
on  account  of  the  substance  of  his  teaching,  but 
because  he  was  the  only  teacher  who  ever  lived 
whose  life  was  equal  to  his  highest  precepts. 
There  is  something  irresistibly  attractive  in  real 
goodness,  and  Christ  by  the  power  of  his  purity 
and  the  sincerity  of  his  life  has  ever  been  winning 
new  friends  to  himself. 

And  then  not  only  the  purity  and  sincerity  of 
his  life  gave  him  power,  but  also  the  character 
of  his  work  gave  him  great  power.  His  whole 
life  was  unselfish,  his  whole  work  was  for 
others,  a  life  of  unselfish  devotion  to  the  good  of 
men.  He  it  was  who  made  it  clear  that  he  is 
greatest  who  serves  most  his  fellows,  he  is  most 
powerful  who  suffers  most  for  others'  good. 
Gratitude  has  always  been  a  most  powerful  basis 
of  appeal,  and  Christ  gained  power  over  men  by 


CHRIST    THE    MOTIVE    POWER       57 

doing  things  for  men.  The  most  significant 
comment  upon  his  life  ever  written  was,  "He 
went  about  doing  good."  He  put  men  under 
obligation  to  himself  by  the  favors  which  he 
did  them;  while  his  crowning  work  of  sacrifice 
of  self  upon  the  cross  for  men's  sins,  must  ever  be 
a  source  of  tremendous  power.  Christ's  resur- 
rection also  from  the  dead  and  the  power  of  an 
eternal  life  have  given  him  a  great  hold  upon 
men.  We  do  not  worship  a  dead  Christ,  but  a 
living  Christ.  Buddha  in  leaving  his  followers  at 
his  death  did  indeed  with  sadness  say,  "Your 
teacher  you  will  no  longer  have,  but  I  will  leave 
you  my  teachings. "  But  Christ,  when  about  to 
depart  for  a  time  from  mortal  vision,  triumphantly 
said,  "Lo,  I  am  with  3^ou  alway. "  He  ever  liveth 
to  make  intercession  for  us,  and  through  us  he 
still  pleads  with  men. 

2.  But  the  power  of  the  person  of  Christ 
depends  not  simply  upon  his  character  and  work, 
but  also  upon  the  intimacy  and  character  of  the 
relationship  established  between  himself  and 
men.  This  relationship  was  of  the  most  intimate 
kind.  In  Christ  we  have  not  Plato's  God, 
afar  off  and  unknowable;  not  a  God  "sitting  on 
the  outer  rim  of  the  Universe  and  watching  it 
spin,"  but  God  in  intimate  relationship  and 
sympathy  with  men.  He  took  upon  himself  all 
of  man's  limitations;  he  was  tempted  and  tried 
in  all  points  like  as  we  are ;  he  entered   into  every 


58      CHRIST    THE    MOTIVE    POWER 

human  experience,  tasted  the  joys  and  sorrows 
common  to  the  race.  He  literally  put  himself 
into  man's  place,  and  lived  as  a  man  among  men. 
And  then  he  said  to  his  followers,  "I  call  you  not 
servants,  but  I  have  called  you  friends;  for  all 
things  that  I  have  heard  of  my  Father  I  have  made 
known  unto  you."  "My  Father  and  I  desire 
to  live  on  very  close  terms  with  you;  we  desire 
to  come  in  and  sup  with  you  and  abide  with  you, 
and  we  desire  you  to  abide  with  us.  The  bond 
of  love  is  to  be  the  tie  between  us."  Ah!  here 
was  a  motive  power  indeed!  Cold,  critical  cul- 
ture never  saves  anybody.  Never  has,  never 
will,  never  can.  We  are  apt  sometimes  to  think, 
or  to  wish,  that  the  world  might  be  ruled  by 
reason,  or  logic;  but  'tis  not  so,  'twill  never  be  so. 
Life  is  greater  than  learning;  heart  is  mightier 
than  head ;  love  is  stronger  than  logic.  And  the 
poet  has  done  well  to  sing : 

"Ah.  how  skillful  grows  the  hand 
That  obeyeth  love's  command ! 
'Tis  the  heart  and  not  the  brain 
That  to  the  highest  doth  attain ; 
And  he  who  followeth  Love's  behest 
Far  excelleth  all  the  rest." 

Here,  then,  in  our  text  Paul  has  given  us  the 
secret  of  power  in  Christianity,  "The  love  of 
Christ  constrains  us."  Christ's  love  for  us,  as 
shown  in  his  self-denying  life  and  sacrificial 
death ;  and  our  love  for  him,  aroused  by  his  own 


CHRIST    THE    MOTIVE    POWER      59 

moral  worthiness,  the  benefits  conferred  and  the 
kindnesses  done,  must  ever  be  the  motive  power, 
the  driving  force,  which  impels  ns  by  love's  own 
sweet  compulsion  to  more  and  more  zeal  in  his 
service,  and  to  efforts  for  those  for  whom  he 
died.  Here,  then,  in  such  a  personality,  and  in 
such  a  bond  of  relationship,  is  a  mighty  motive 
power,  the  best  that  God  in  his  wisdom  and 
mercy  could  provide;  but  somehow  we  don't  seem 
to  have  in  our  churches  the  power  which  we 
should  have.  You  have  not  in  your  church  the 
power  you  ought  to  have.  Why  is  it?  In  what 
does  the  power  of  a  church  consist?  The  power 
of  a  church  is  the  sum  total  of  the  personal 
powers  of  each  of  the  members,  plus  that  incre- 
ment of  power  which  comes  from  union.  Just 
this;  no  more,  no  less.  You,  then,  individually 
are  responsible  for  a  part  of  the  lack  of  power.  You, 
then,  individually  are  able  to  add  to  the  power  by 
increasing  the  power  of  your  own  Christian  life. 
This  may  be  done  in  two  ways.  First,  we  must 
come  into  more  intimate  relationship  with  Christ, 
the  source  of  power.  We  need  to  get  full  of  God's 
spirit,  and  then  we'll  have  influence,  then  we'll 
have  power.  We  need  to  be  on  fire  for  God. 
We  must  remove  from  our  lives  those  things 
which  hinder  our  growth  in  grace,  which  interfere 
with  our  freedom  in  prayer  and  in  service ;  those 
selfish  indulgences,  those  un-Christlike  things, 
which  mar  our  spiritual  lives  and  lessen  our  power 


6o      CHRIST    THE    MOTIVE    POWER 

with  God  and  man.  Then,  by  reading  God's  book 
and  thinking  God's  thoughts,  by  prayer  and  medi- 
tation, and  by  activity  in  his  service,  we  need  to 
be  drawn  more  closely  to  him. 

But  not  only  the  relationship  Godward  needs 
renewing  and  strengthening ;  we  must  also  come 
into  more  intimate  contact  with  men,  if  we  are  to 
have  power  over  them.  We  hear  much  about 
the  separation  of  the  church  from  the  masses.  If 
they  are  separated  from  each  other,  they  never 
became  separated  en  masse.  They  become 
separated  as  individuals.  They  must  be  brought 
together  as  individuals.  Pharisaism  by  its 
separation  could  never  save  the  world,  but 
Christianity  by  personal  contact  of  Christlike 
individuals  with  individuals,  can  and  must  save  the 
race.  Men  are  not  saved  at  a  distance,  but  by 
personal  contact  with  saved  men,  who  reveal  to 
them  a  living,  present  and  powerful  Savior.  If 
we  would  have  power,  then,  we  must  come  into 
most  intimate  relationship  with  Christ,  the  source 
of  power,  and  with  those  whom  we  would  save. 

Some  years  ago  I  looked  upon  an  interesting 
picture.  In  the  foreground  was  the  ocean, 
stirred  by  a  storm,  its  billows  tossing  mountain 
high;  while  in  the  background  was  a  rocky 
shore,  and  upon  its  crags  a  large  cross,  to  which 
was  clinging  the  form  of  a  woman,  just  rescued 
from  a  watery  grave.  Ah!  it  was  a  beautiful 
sight ;  for,  with  both  arms  firmly  clasped  about  the 


CHRIST    THE    MOTIVE    POWER       6i 

cross,  she  looked  heavenward  with  beaming  face 
and  read  on  the  sky  the  song  of  her  soul,  "Simply 
to  thy  cross  I  cling."  This,  I  thought,  was  a 
Christian  masterpiece ;  until  some  time  afterwards 
I  saw  another  picture  which  excelled  the  first  as 
sunlight  exceeds  the  light  of  the  stars.  In  the 
foreground  there  was  the  same  storm -swept 
ocean,  in  the  background  the  craggy  shore,  the 
cross  and  the  inspiring  motto;  while  aAvoman  just 
rescued  from  the  deep,  clung  with  one  arm  only  to 
the  cross,  and,  with  face  heavenward  and  seaward, 
stretched  out  the  other  arm  to  those  who  were 
perishing  in  the  same  sea  from  which  she  had 
scarcely  been  saved.  Ah!  methinks  the  latter  is 
Christianity!  Not  both  arms  about  a  cross,  and 
ecstasy  over  personal  salvation,  forgetful  of  the 
peril  of  others;  but  with  a  firm  grasp  upon  the 
cross  with  one  arm,  with  face  Christward  and 
manward,  the  other  stretched  out  to  save  our  fel- 
lows. With  one  hand  in  the  hand  of  the  sinless, 
and  the  other  hand  in  the  hand  of  the  sinner,  let 
us  in  Christ's  stead  beseech  men  to  be  reconciled 
to  God.  So  shall  the  Person  of  Christ  be  the 
motive  power  in  our  lives,  and  become  the  loving 
Savior  of  others. 


Gradual  Growth 

JJC»  ^  Jf» 

Mark  4:  28. — ''First  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  after  that 
the  full  corn  in  the  ear.'' 

0UR   Lord   spoke   three   parables   about   the 
Kingdom   of   God   with   reference  to  the 
subject  of   growth.* 

(a)  At  one  time  he  said,  "The  Kingdom  of 
God  is  like  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  which,  when 
it  is  sown  in  the  earth,  is  less  than  all  the  seeds 
that  be  in  the  earth;  but  when  it  is  sown,  it 
groweth  up  and  becometh  greater  than  all  herbs 
and  shooteth  out  great  branches,  so  that  the 
fowls  of  the  air  may  lodge  under  the  shadow  of 
it. ' '  By  this  parable  Christ  represented  the  King- 
dom of  God  as  an  external  society,  beginning 
small  and  increasing  in  size,  and  growth  in  the 
Kingdom  as  something  external  and  visible, 
resulting  in  increased  bulk. 

(b)  Again,  our  Savior  likened  the  Kingdom  of 
God  to  "leaven,  which  a  woman  took,  and  hid  in 


*  Again  I  desire  to  express  my  great  debt  to  the  writings 
of  Prof.  A.  B.  Bruce. 

62 


GRADUAL    GROWTH  6s 

three  measures  of  meal,  till  the  Avhole  was 
leavened."  In  this  parable  the  Kingdom  of  God 
is  represented  as  an  internal  force ;  and  growth  in 
it  as  something  internal,  invisible,  resulting  in  a 
transformed  mass. 

(c)  Again,  our  Savior  said,  "So  is  the  Kingdom 
of  God,  as  if  a  man  should  cast  seed  into  the 
ground;  and  should  sleep  and  rise,  night  and 
day,  and  the  seed  should  spring  and  grow  up,  he 
knoweth  not  how.  For  the  earth  bringeth  forth 
fruit  of  herself;  first  the  blade,  then  the  ear, 
after  that  the  full  corn  in  the  ear.  But  when  the 
fruit  is  ripe,  immediately  he  putteth  in  the  sickle, 
because  the  harvest  is  come."  In  this  parable 
emphasis  is  laid  upon  the  nature  of  growth,  as 
something  mysterious,  something  spontaneous, 
and  something  gradually  progressive. 

It  is  necessary  in  the  interpretation  of  all 
illustrations,  comparisons  and  parables,  carefully 
to  recognize  the  difference  between  that  which  is 
essential  and  that  which  is  incidental,  between 
figure  and  shading,  foreground  and  background. 
For  instance,  when  our  Lord's  second  coming  is 
likened  unto  the  coming  of  a  thief  in  the  night, 
it  is  evident  that  the  thing  taught  is  not  that  he 
shall  necessarily  come  at  night  time,  nor  that  he 
shall  use  the  devices  of  a  thief,  but  that  he  shall 
come  suddenly  and  unexpectedly.  Now,  in  the 
parable  above  mentioned,  of  "the  blade,  the  ear, 
and  the  full  corn  in  the  ear,  'it  is  evident  that 


64  GRADUAL    GROWTH 

"the  casting  of  the  seed  into  the  ground,"  and 
**the  putting  in  of  the  sickle  when  harvest  time 
has  come,"  are  but  shading  to  round  out  and 
complete  the  picture.  Three  things  seem  to 
stand  in  the  foreground  and  to  be  emphasized: 
The  mysteriousness  of  growth,  "it  springeth  and 
groweth  up  and  he  knoweth  not  how"  ;  the  spon- 
taneity of  growth,  "the  earth  bringeth  forth  fruit 
of  herself";  and  the  gradual  progressiveness  of 
growth,  "first  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  after  that 
the  full  corn  in  the  ear. "  As  to  which  of  these 
three  ideas  was  predominating  in  the  mind  of  the 
Savior  at  the  time  of  utterance,  if  indeed  any  one 
was  foremost  in  his  mind,  may  be  a  matter  for 
difference  of  opinion  or  interpretation ;  but  to  my 
own  mind  the  thought  of  the  gradual  progressive- 
ness of  growth  is  the  more  prominent,  and  the 
phrases,  "first  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  after  that 
the  full  corn  in  the  ear, ' '  are  the  more  emphatic. 
Allow  me,  then,  to  take  the  clauses,  "first  the 
blade,  then  the  ear,  after  that  the  full  corn  in  the 
ear, "  as  a  text,  and  to  call  your  attention  to  the 
law  of  gradual  and  progressive  growth. 

I.  We  note  first  that  this  law  is  easily  recog- 
nized as  a  law  always  operative  in  the  natural, 
physical  world.  In  the  springtime,  as  processes 
move  on  before  our  very  eyes,  we  see  the  erst- 
while leafless  and  apparently  lifeless  trees,  under 
the  influence  of  warmth,  sunshine  and  rain, 
begin  to  bud  and  to  blush  with  the  might  of  life. 


GRADUAL    GROWTH  65 

As  night  and  day,  sunshine  and  shade  follow,  the 
buds  develop  and  burst  into  fragrant  bloom, 
green  fruit  and  shade-giving  leaf.  Summer  fol- 
lows spring,  and  the  gradually  progressive  proc- 
ess goes  on,  until  the  ripening  days  of  autumn 
bring  processes  to  fruition  and  the  development 
is  complete.  Among  animals,  also,  there  is  the 
spring  of  childhood,  the  summer  of  youth  and 
middle  age,  and  the  autumn  of  maturity.  In 
the  vegetable  and  animal  worlds  alike,  i.  e., 
wherever  there  is  life  and  growth,  the  law  of 
the  gradualness  and  progressiveness  of  growth  is 
seen. 

But  Christian  apologists,  while  easily  admitting 
the  existence  of  such  laws  in  the  natural  world, 
have  been  slow  to  admit  their  existence  in  the 
world  of  spiritual  things.  There  has  been  mani- 
fested a  certain  fearfulness,  lest  if  there  should  be 
admitted  the  existence  in  spiritual  things  of  laws, 
of  such  things  as  cause  and  effect,  the  spiritual 
might  be  debased  to  the  level  of  the  natural. 
There  has  been  a  fear,  lest  if  natural  laws  were 
admitted  to  have  counterparts,  or  analogous  laws, 
in  the  spiritual  realm,  the  spiritual  might  become 
natural,  law  and  order  might  be  enthroned  as 
God,  and  the  Creator  ruled  entirely  out  of  the 
Universe.  And  yet,  what  seems  more  reasonable 
than  that  he,  who  established  the  laws  of  nature, 
should  have  established  similar  laws  in  the  world 
of  spirit.      Must  the  supernatural  be  necessarily 


66  GRADUAL    GROWTH 

contrary  to  nature,  and  miracle  be  equivalent  to 
magic?  However,  such  reasonings  are  rapidly- 
passing  away,  and  a  wider  scholarship  and  a  more 
tolerant  age  have  given  us  a  new  point  of  view. 
To-day  we  everywhere  recognize  in  spiritual 
things  the  existence  of  laws,  laws  which  in  many 
cases  seem  to  be  analogous  to,  or  identical  with,  the 
laws  of  the  natural  world.  Let  us  consider  the 
oneness  of  this  law  of  gradualness  and  progress- 
iveness  of  growth  in  Creation,  Revelation  and 
Sanctification. 

2.  Creation  was  gradual  and  progressive.  I 
am  not  advocating  that  theory  of  so-called  evolu- 
tion which  would  make  the  ape  the  remote 
ancestor  of  man.  For  over  against  a  century  of 
theorizing  and  experimentation  to  support  such  a 
theory  of  evolution,  must  be  written  the  verdict, 
' '  Not  proven. ' '  No  well  differentiated  species  has 
ever  been  produced.  Interesting  varieties  have 
been  developed;  but  a  fatal  law  of  atavism  has 
always  brought  about  a  reversion  to  the  original 
type.  Connecting  links  have  either  been  lost,  or 
never  existed.  In  the  mineral  world,  however, 
we  have  preserved  to  us  the  record  in  geological 
strata  of  the  gradual  preparation  of  the  earth  for 
man.  But  whatever  may  be  one's  theory  of 
evolution,  whether  it  were  a  true  evolution  or  by 
distinct  creative  acts;  creation  was,  at  any  rate, 
probably  a  gradual  and  progressive  process.  This 
is  not  only  not  contrary  to,  but  in  exact  accord 


GRADUAL    GROWTH  67 

with,  the  general  teaching  of  the  program  of 
creation,  presented  to  us  in  the  first  chapter  of 
Genesis.  First  God  existed.  Then  the  heavens 
and  the  earth  were  created,  without  form  and 
void,  enveloped  in  darkness,  but  under  the  brood- 
ing spirit  of  the  Almighty,  Then  light,  a  first 
necessity  of  life,  was  created.  Then  heaven, 
earth,  dry  land,  sea,  night  and  day  were  sepa- 
rated. Then  vegetable  life  appeared.  Then  the 
lower  animal  life  and  fishes.  Then  quadrupeds 
and  the  higher  vertebrates,  and  finally  man. 
Thus  the  process  was  a  gradually  progressive  one, 
leading  from  lower  to  higher,  culminating  in 
man,  the  highest  of  all.  The  law  of  creation  was 
"First  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  after  that  the  full 
corn  in  the  ear." 

3.  Again,  Revelation  was  gradual  and  pro- 
gressive. God  did  not  reveal  the  whole  of  his 
will  to  any  one  of  the  prophets  or  apostles,  nor  at 
any  one  time.  His  revelation  proceeded  upon 
true  principles  of  education,  beginning  with  the 
simple  and  proceeding  to  the  profound;  from 
concrete  to  abstract;  from  pictured  truth  to 
spiritual  reality.  That  this  was  the  method  of 
revelation  may  be  illustrated  in  many  ways. 
Take,  for  example,  the  emphasis  placed  at  first 
upon  outward  forms  and  ceremonies.  Note  how 
much  was  made  at  first  of  ritual;  how  only 
gradually  the  prophets  rose  to  higher  spiritual 
perceptions,  and  the  truth  was  emphasized,  "To 


68  GRADUAL    GROWTH 

obey  is  better  than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken  than 
the  fat  of  rams."  Gradually  the  internal  rose 
above  the  external,  the  spiritual  above  the 
material.  Christ  referred  to  this  gradually  pro- 
gressive process  in  revelation  when  he  said  to  the 
woman  of  Samaria,  "The  hour  cometh  when  ye 
shall  neither  in  this  mountain,  nor  yet  at  Jerusa- 
lem, worship  the  Father.  Bat  the  hour  cometh, 
and  now  is,  when  the  true  worshipers  shall 
worship  the  Father  in  spirit  and  in  truth ;  for  the 
Father  seeketh  such  to  worship  him.  God  is  a 
spirit;  and  they  that  worship  must  worship  in 
spirit  and  in  truth. "  Again,  note  how  at  first  in 
Scripture  the  rewards  for  piety  are  largely 
material  things;  while,  in  the  full  light  of  com- 
pleted revelation,  the  highest  rewards  of  piety 
and  the  fruits  of  the  spirit  are  spiritual  blessings. 
Again,  note  the  gradualness  and  progressiveness 
in  the  revelation  of  certain  great  ideas,  such  as, 
for  example,  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  the 
life  beyond  the  grave.  Indeed,  there  seems  to  be 
very  little  concerning  these  great  subjects  in  the 
Old  Testament.  A  glimpse  or  two  in  Job,  or  a 
hope  expressed  in  a  Psalm,  is  about  all.  It  is  only 
in  New  Testament  times  that  Christ  brought  "life 
and  immortality  to  light,  through  the  Gospel." 
In  nothing  is  the  gradualness  and  progressiveness 
of  revelation  more  clearly  seen  than  in  the 
development  of  Messianic  Prophecy,  the  gradual 
unfolding   of  the    plan  of    salvation    through    a 


GRADUAL    GROWTH  69 

coming  Savior.  The  theme  of  Redemption  begins 
in  Genesis  in  very  indistinct  and  uncertain  tones ; 
and,  like  the  approach  of  music  from  afar,  only  a 
note  here  and  there  in  the  divine  melody  can  be 
distinguished.  On  and  on  roll  the  centuries; 
prophet  after  prophet  arises,  each  adding  some  new- 
variation,  or  modulation,  to  the  original  theme. 
Sometimes,  from  some  mountain  peak  of  prophetic 
activity,  like  that  of  Isaiah,  the  strains  roll 
majestic,  and  every  note  in  the  divine  melody 
rings  out  with  the  clearness  of  a  bell.  Some- 
times, in  some  valley  of  national  decay,  or 
prophetic  silence,  the  strains  seem  to  die  away, 
and  the  music  seems  muffled.  On  and  on  roll  the 
ages,  until  at  last  the  bugle  call  announces  the 
birth  of  John  the  Baptist,  the  herald  of  coming 
deliverance;  and  then,  on  the  well  known  De- 
cember night,  in  the  fullness  of  God's  time, 
over  the  hills  of  Bethlehem  rings  out  the  oratorio 
of  the  Messiah,  the  full  Hallelujah  Chorus  of 
Redemption,  "Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and 
on  earth  peace,  good  will  to  men."  Thus  from 
the  beginning  of  the  Old  Testament  Revelation 
to  the  coming  of  Christ,  the  method  of  revelation 
was  that  of  gradual  and  progressive  growth.  In 
the  New  Testament,  likewise,  we  find  the  gradually 
progressive  process  continued:  Christ  himself 
revealing  God's  will  to  man  "as  they  were  able  to 
bear  it";  and  the  apostles,  after  the  death  and 
resurrection    of    Christ,    explaining,    as    it    was 


70  GRADUAL    GROWTH 

revealed  to  them,  the  full  meaning  of  the  salva- 
tion which  the  Son  had  accomplished. 

Since  Apostolic  days,  there  has  been  no 
development  in  the  line  of  addition  of  new  truths, 
God's  written  revelation  being-  complete,  a 
sufficient  declaration  of  his  will,  and  an  infallible 
guide  in  all  matters  of  faith  and  practice.  In  it, 
and  in  the  divine  human  character  revealed  in 
it,  are  hidden  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and 
knowledge.  In  the  perception  and  application 
of  truth,  however,  the  gradually  progressive 
process  continues.  Every  day  reveals  to  us  new 
applications  of  truth,  and  new  depths  and  heights 
and  lengths  and  breadths  of  his  wonderful  love 
and  gracious  purposes  towards  mankind.  Thus 
we  see  that  the  law  of  revelation  was  the  law  of 
gradual  and  progressive  growth.  '*  First  the 
blade,  then  the  ear,  after  that  the  full  corn  in 
the  ear." 

4.  Again,  Sanctification  is  gradual  and  progress- 
ive. In  the  Kingdom  of  God,  as  an  external 
society  and  as  represented  by  the  Church  of  Christ 
upon  earth,  the  growth  has  been  a  very  gradual 
one;  and,  as  we  firmly  believe,  in  general  a 
progressive  growth.  When  one  takes  a  broad  and 
unprejudiced  view  of  the  history  of  the  church,  of 
the  civilization  of  which  Christianity  has  been  the 
chief  cause ;  when  one  sees  how  one  age  has  led 
up  to  and  prepared  the  way  for  a  subsequent  and 
better  age ;  in  spite  of  the  dark  times,  and  many 


GRADUAL    GROWTH  71 

black  pages  of  history,  it  is  easy  to  sing  with  the 
poet: 

"  Yet  I  doubt  not  through  the  ages 
One  increasing  purpose  runs, 
And  the  thoughts  of  men  are  widened 
With  the  process  of  the  suns." 

The  gradual  growth  of  the  power  of  religious 
ideas,  the  increasing  hold  of  the  Christ  upon  men, 
the  slow  but  sure  progress  in  the  regeneration  of 
society,  are  fascinating  themes,  and  illustrate 
clearly  the  law  of  gradual  and  progressive  growth, 
but  I  cannot  speak  of  them  now.  It  is  a  more 
personal  matter  that  I  wish  to  consider,  and  to 
apply  the  text  to  the  process  of  the  sanctifica- 
tion  of  the  individual.  Nor  is  it  my  purpose  to 
discuss  the  question  of  the  possibility  of  imme- 
diate sanctification,  nor  the  question  of  the  degree 
of  sanctification  attainable  in  this  life.  Suffice  it 
to  say,  that,  if  immediate  sanctification  in  this 
life  has  ever  taken  place,  it  is  not  the  usual  thing, 
nor  the  ordinary  process  of  sanctification.  I  care 
not  to  treat  of  exceptions,  but  of  the  general  rule. 
As  to  the  degree  of  sanctification  attainable  in  this 
life,  it  is  not  a  question  of  degree,  but  a  question 
of  method,  with  which  I  am  now  concerned. 

All  real  growth,  all  permanent  growth  is  slow 
growth.  The  clinging  vine  may,  in  a  single 
summer,  climb  to  a  great  height,  but  it  takes  a 
century  to  grow  an  oak.  Jonah's  gourd  came  up 
in  a  night,  but  it  likewise  perished  in  a  night. 


72  GRADUAL    GROWTH 

The  cathedrals  of  Europe,  centuries  old,  were 
centuries  in  building.  Again,  the  higher  forms 
of  life  are  more  slow  of  development.  A  horse 
often  is  at  its  best  in  a  few  years,  but  a  man  only 
attains  maturity  after  several  decades.  The 
monad  passes  through  birth,  youth,  maturity,  old 
age  and  death,  within  the  short  period  of  twenty- 
four  hours;  but  it  is  only  a  monad.  If,  then,  real 
growth,  permanent  growth,  is  slow,  and  still  more 
so  in  proportion  as  the  product  is  high,  must  not 
the  development  of  character,  the  attainment  of 
sanctification,  the  winning  of  that  which  is  high- 
est and  best,  and  toward  the  attainment  of  which 
all  noblest  endeavors  should  always  be  engaged, 
must  not  that  growth  be  indeed  a  slow  and  a 
gradual  one?  Our  text  suggests  three  stages  of 
growth  in  sanctification,  a  blade  stage,  a  green 
ear  stage,  and  a  full  corn  stage.  (And  here  Pro- 
fessor Bruce,  in  his  treatment  of  Christ's  parables, 
is  very  helpful.)  At  once  several  questions  arise. 
Do  these  three  stages  always  appear  in  the  proc- 
ess of  sanctification?  Do  they  always  occur  in 
the  same  order,  and  are  they  always  dis- 
tinguishable one  from  another?  As  to  the 
last  question,  it  must  be  noted,  referring 
again  to  the  grain  which  is  the  basis  of  com- 
parison, that  growth  in  the  natural  world  is 
such  a  gradually  progressive  process,  that  it  is 
not  possible  to  be  so  minute  as  to  affirm  that  for 
just  so  many  days,  hours  and  minutes,  grain  is  in 


GRADUAL    GROWTH  73 

the  blade  stage;  and  then,  for  just  so  many  days, 
hours  and  minutes,  it  is  in  the  green  ear  stage ; 
and  then,  for  just  so  many  days,  hours  and  min- 
utes, it  is  in  the  full  corn  stage.  These  stages 
merge  one  into  another.  But,  looked  at  from  a 
more  general  standpoint,  we  see  that  there  is  a 
blade  period,  there  is  a  green  ear  period,  and 
there  is  a  full  corn  period.  So  with  these  stages 
in  the  development  of  sanctification,  one  stage 
merges  into  another,  but  in  general  the  three 
stages  occur,  and  occur  in  the  order  named.  Let 
us  note  some  of  the  characteristics  of  these  stages. 
Mark  the  blade  period;  or,  referring  to  fruit  as 
well  as  to  grain,  we  may  call  it  the  blossom 
period,  the  spring-tide,  the  time  of  initial  growth. 
It  is  a  time  of  enthusiasm,  of  childhood's  happy 
joy,  of  the  wild  thrill  of  first  love.  And,  refer- 
ring to  the  beginning  period  of  the  Christian's 
life,  we  recall  the  joyousness  of  the  young  con- 
vert, and  the  ardent  enthusiasm;  the  zeal  which 
would  quickly  convert  a  world,  and  which  stands 
amazed  at  the  apparent  coldness  of  older  Chris- 
tians; the  light  step  and  the  bounding  joy  of  a 
new  life.  But  note  also,  concerning  the  very 
beginning  of  this  initial  period,  how  nature  illus- 
trates diverse  operations  of  grace.  Some  kinds 
of  grain,  when  planted,  make  the  first  show  of  life 
by  sending  up  through  the  clods  a  little  spike  of 
green.  There  is  no  demonstration;  without 
observation,  almost,  the  little  blade  makes  its  way 


74  GRADUAL    GROWTH 

up  to  the  light  and  air,  and  the  process  of  initial 
growth  is  a  very  quiet  and  unobserved  one. 
But  fruit  trees,  which  seemed  just  a  while  ago  so 
dead  and  cold,  in  a  very  few  days  of  sunshine 
swell  quickly  and,  apparently  almost  in  an 
instant,  burst  into  a  halo  of  bloom,  and  into  a 
bower  of  fragrance.  So  the  beginning  of  the 
new  life  is  manifested  differently  in  different  per- 
sons. Some,  especially  children,  accustomed 
from  earliest  days  to  the  teachings  of  the  Bible 
and  to  thoughts  of  Christ,  are  born  so  quietly  into 
the  spiritual  world  as  to  realize  scarcely  any 
change  in  condition.  Though  they  have  been 
truly  born  again,  the  manifestation  of  the 
new  life  has  been  so  gradual,  that,  in  after  days, 
though  they  are  sure  of  their  having  been  born 
again,  they  are  never  able  to  determine  the  exact 
time  when  the  new  birth  took  place.  Then 
there  are  others,  and  particularly  is  this  true  of 
older  people,  who,  dead  in  indifference  and  hard- 
ened by  years  of  sin  and  selfish  indulgence,  are 
suddenly  arrested  in  their  course  of  godlessness, 
catch  a  saving  sight  of  Jesus,  and  immediately  all 
is  changed.  They  were  lost,  but  are  found.  They 
were  dead  in  sin,  but  now  have  begun  to  live  unto 
Christ.  The  whole  world  seems  new;  the  sun 
shines  brighter;  the  sky  is  bluer;  the  grass  is 
greener.  Things  are  the  same  as  of  old,  but  the 
man  has  changed.  The  tree  has  burst  into 
bloom.     But  it  must  always  be  kept  in  mind  that 


GRADUAL    GROWTH  75 

this  blade  stage,  this  blossom  period,  is  but  the 
beginning  of  the  Christian  life.  Many  mistake 
the  blossom  for  the  fruit,  springtime  for  harvest, 
holy  feeling  for  holy  living,  gushing  enthusiasm 
for  staunch  character. 

Sooner  or  later,  blade  and  blossom  are  followed 
by  green  ear  and  unripe  fruit.  This  is  a  second 
stage  in  the  process  of  sanctification.  It  is  a  time 
of  transition.  "A  time  of  waiting,  of  unfulfilled 
desires,  of  unrealized  ideals,  of  green  ears  and 
unripe  fruit,  of  experiences  more  profitable  than 
pleasant."  The  green  fruit  is  a  stage  in  advance 
of  the  blossom,  but  it  is  not  so  beautiful  or 
fragrant.  The  second  stage  is  "a  time  of  tempta- 
tion and  struggle,  of  doubts  and  fears,  of  sadness 
and  gloom."  A  time  when  the  foundations  of 
faith  are  re-examined,  when  deeper  views  of  the 
meaning  of  consecration  bring  doubts  as  to  one's 
own  sincerity,  and  a  higher  perception  of  the 
demands  of  holiness  brings  despair  as  to  one's 
own  attainment.  It  is  a  trying  time,  indeed,  a 
time  when  many  sincere  souls  sometimes  doubt 
even  their  own  conversion.  And  yet  it  is  but  a 
preparatory  stage  to  something  richer  and  riper. 
Let  not  those  who  are  passing  through  such 
experiences  be  unduly  cast  down,  or  too  severely 
blame  themselves.  It  is  no  sin  to  be  in  the 
"green  corn  and  unripe  fruit"  stage,  though  it  is 
sin  permanently  to  remain  so,  and  never  to  pass 
beyond  from  greenness  to  ripeness.     This  transi- 


76  GRADUAL    GROWTH 

tion  period  usually  comes  to  all  those  who  bring 
forth  the  best  fruit;  for  always  has  it  been  true 
that  "they  who  reap  in  greatest  joy  sow  most  in 
tears.** 

But,  as  blossom  was  followed  by  unripe  fruit, 
and  blade  by  green  ear;  so  surely,  if  we  are  faith- 
ful and  patient,  unripe  fruit  will  be  followed  by 
ripeness,  and  green  ear  by  the  full  corn  in  the 
ear.  This  third  stage  of  sanctification  is  referred 
to  by  Banyan,  when,  in  the  "Pilgrim's  Progress," 
Christian,  having  passed  through  the  Valley  of 
Humiliation  and  the  Shadow  of  Death,  having 
escaped  the  clutches  of  Giant  Despair,  has  at  last 
reached  Beulah  Land,  from  which  one  cannot  so 
much  as  see  Doubting  Castle,  and  where  one  lives 
within  constant  vision  of  the  Eternal  City.  Here 
the  fruit  of  the  spirit  has  become  an  abiding 
possession.  "Love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering," 
have  become  traits  of  character,  and  "heavenly 
impulse  has  become  a  heavenly  habit. "  Those 
who  attain  to  this  stage  of  Christian  maturity  are 
always  conscious  of  the  high  demands  of  holiness, 
of  their  constant  dependence  upon  Christ,  of  the 
heinousness  of  sin,  and  are  clearly  cognizant  of 
their  own  shortcomings. 

Thus  the  course  of  personal  sanctification  is 
seen  to  be  a  gradual  and  progressive  one.  "First 
the  blade,  then  the  ear,  after  that  the  full  corn  in 
the  ear." 

As  the   process  of    sanctification  is  slow    and 


GRADUAL    GROWTH  77 

gradual,  as  there  are  stages  which  must  neces- 
sarily be  passed  through,  we  need  to  exercise 
continually  the  Christlike  virtue  of  patience. 
First,  patience  with  others.  How  crude  and 
immature  the  ideas  of  some  seem  to  be!  How 
full  of  glaring  faults  their  lives  are !  Why  cannot 
they  see  that  such  actions  are  so  un-Christlike ! 
But  we  must  exercise  patience !  How  patient  the 
Master  was  with  those  rude  fishermen,  his 
disciples,  whose  ideas  seemed  so  worldly,  whose 
ambitions  were  so  sordid,  whose  passions  were 
so  uncontrolled,  who  were  so  slow  to  believe 
and  to  understand  the  parables  and  spiritual 
truths  which  he  wished  to  teach  them!  And 
yet  the  Master  never  lost  his  patience.  And 
then  we  must  be  patient  with  ourselves.  We 
become  impatient  of  slow  processes.  We  crave 
short-cuts  to  holiness  and  fruitfulness.  But  we 
shall  attain  to  highest  maturity  only  as  we 
patiently  abide  God's  time  and  faithfully  perform 
the  duties  of  each  day.  Those  who  were  profit- 
able hearers  received  the  word  into  good  and 
honest  hearts,  and  ''with  patience  brought  forth 
fruit  unto  perfection."  "Let us  also,  then,  laying 
aside  every  weight  and  the  sin  that  doth  so  easily 
beset  us,  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set 
before  us,  looking  unto  Jesus,  the  author  and 
finisher  of  our  faith."  Thus  may  we  all, 
"beholding  as  in  a  mirror  the  glory  of  the  Lord, 
be  changed  into  the  same  image  from  glory  to 


78  GRADUAL    GROWTH 

glory,"  and  then,  when  the  gradually  progressive 
process  of  sanctifi cation  is  complete,  and  we  pass 
into  his  presence,  *'we  shall  be  satisfied  when  we 
awake  in  his  likeness." 


Working  for  Jesus 


''%  ''i ''% 

Matt.  2S :  IS- — ''And  unto  one  he  gave  five  talents,  to 
another  two,  to  another  one;  to  each  according  to  his 
several  ability;  and  he  went  on  his  journey*' 

0UR  Savior  spoke  three  parables  upon  the 
great  theme  of  *'Work  and  Wages  in  the 
Kingdom  of  God":  the  parable  of  the 
husbandman,  hiring  laborers  to  work  in  his  vine- 
yard; the  parable  of  the  ten  pounds,  given  to  the 
ten  servants ;  and  the  parable  of  the  talents.  The 
parable  of  the  talents  is  doubtless,  to  many  of  us, 
the  most  familiar  of  the  three.  Its  lessons  have 
often  been  considered,  and  yet  it  may  be  of  great 
profit  to  us  to  recall  at  this  time  some  of  its  most 
evident  teachings. 

The  parable  story  is  briefly  told.  A  man  of 
some  wealth  is  about  to  go  to  a  distant  country. 
He  leaves  his  money  and  property  in  the  hands  of 
his  servants  for  use.  The  ability  of  each  of  his 
servants  is  well  known  to  him.  Being  a  wise 
manager,  he  does  not  give  similar  amounts  to  all, 
but  gives  to  each  according  to  each  one's  ability; 

79 


8o  WORKING    FOR    JESUS 

not  too  much  to  any,  not  too  little  to  any ;  to  none 
enough  to  burden  or  overcome,  to  none  so  little  as 
to  encourage  to  idleness;  but  "unto  one  he  gave 
five  talents,  to  another  two,  to  another  one;  to 
each  according  to  his  several  ability;  and  he  went 
on  his  journey."  As  soon  as  the  master  was 
gone,  the  first  servant,  by  prudent  business 
methods,  by  looking  for  and  seizing  every  possible 
opportunity,  by  constant  diligence  and  skill,  suc- 
ceeded in  doubling  his  capital.  The  second 
servant,  who  had  received  two  talents,  manifested 
a  similar  diligence  and  skill,  and  achieved  a  sim- 
ilar result,  the  doubling  of  his  capital.  The 
third  servant  was  a  timid  and  shrinking  man,  of 
less  ability  than  either  of  the  others,  but  able  to  do 
sometJii7ig;  with  a  poor  opinion  of  his  master  and 
of  himself,  lazy  as  well  as  little  and  lean.  This 
one  went  away  and  dug  a  hole  in  the  ground  and 
"hid  his  lord's  money."  "After  a  long  time,  the 
lord  of  those  servants  cometh  and  reckoneth  with 
them."  After  along  time!  After  sufficient  time 
has  passed  for  testing  the  diligence  and  efficiency 
of  each  servant ;  after  sufficient  time  for  each  one 
to  have  had  splendid  opportunities  for  accom- 
plishing something  for  the  master,  the  lord  of 
those  servants  returns,  and  each  one  is  called  to 
give  an  account  of  his  stewardship.  The  man 
who  had  received  the  five  talents  comes  forward, 
with  beaming  face  and  firm  step,  proud  of  his 
honest   achievement,   and  yet  humble    with  the 


WORKING    FOR    JESUS  8i 

humility  so  becoming  a  faithful  servant;  and 
says,  "Lord,  thou  deliveredst  unto  me  five  talents; 
behold,  I  have  gained  beside  them  five  talents 
more."  The  master  rejoices  in  such  a  servant, 
and  his  bounding  heart  responds  to  such  service, 
"Well  done"  (had  he  not  done  well?)  "thou  good 
and  faithful  servant ;  thou  hast  been  faithful  over 
a  few  things;  I  will  make  thee  ruler  over  many 
things:  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  lord." 
After  this  servant  comes  another,  the  one  who 
had  received  two  talents.  He,  also,  has  a  happy 
face,  and  a  throbbing  heart,  as  the  result  of  faith- 
ful living,  already  possessing  a  heaven  of  happiness 
as  the  result  of  conscious  attainment  and  humble 
gratitude  for  the  privilege  of  service.  "He  also 
that  had  received  two  talents  came  and  said, 
'Lord,  thou  deliveredst  unto  me  two  talents: 
behold,  I  have  gained  two  other  talents  beside 
them.'  "  Again  appears  the  master's  responsive 
smile,  and  ag-ain  are  heard  the  words  of  approval, 
"Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant;  thou  hast 
been  faithful  over  a  few  things ;  I  will  make  thee 
raler  over  many  things:  enter  thou  into  the  joy 
of  thy  lord."  Thus  far,  the  day  of  reckoning  has 
been  a  day  of  honest  joy,  both  to  master  and 
servants ;  a  day  when  the  seal  of  divine  approval 
has  but  brought  added  delight  to  those  who  have 
already  known  the  privilege  and  pleasure  of  faith- 
ful living.  But  7iow  comes  one  whose  unfaithful- 
ness   has    brought     shadow     and    shame    upon 


82  WORKING    FOR    JESUS 

himself,  and  who  carries  gloom  wherever  he  goes, 
*'Then  he  that  had  received  the  one  talent  came 
and  said,  'Lord,  I  knew  thee,  that  thou  art  an  hard 
man,  reaping  where  thou  hast  not  sown,  and 
gathering  where  thou  hast  not  scattered :  and  I 
was  afraid,  and  went  and  hid  thy  talent  in  the 
earth :  lo,  there  thou  hast  that  is  thine. '  His  lord 
answered  and  said  unto  him,  'Thou  wicked  and 
slothful  servant,  thou  knewest  that  I  reap  where  I 
sowed  not,  and  gather  where  I  have  not  scattered: 
thou  oughtest  therefore  to  have  put  my  money  to 
the  exchangers,  and  then  at  my  coming  I  should 
have  received  my  own  with  interest.  Thou 
oughtest  to  have  been  afraid  to  have  appeared 
before  me  empty  handed.'"  If  too  timid  to  take 
responsibility  and  too  lazy  to  work,  you  could  at 
least  have  put  my  money  to  the  exchangers  for 
interest.  There  is  no  excuse  for  your  having  done 
absolutely  nothing.  ' '  Cast  ye  the  unprofitable  serv- 
ant into  outer  darkness:  there  shall  be  weeping 
and  gnashing  of  teeth."  Cast  him  out!  Let  the 
gloom  which  he  has  made  for  himself  be  per- 
petual. Cast  him  out!  There  shall  be  weeping 
and  gnashing  of  teeth,  weeping  over  lost  oppor- 
tunities, and  gnashing  of  teeth  in  envy  of  those 
who,  by  faithfulness,  won  what  he  might  have 
had.  This  is  the  parable  story  briefly  told  and 
paraphrased;  let  us  now  note  some  of  the  more 
apparent  teachings : 

I.    The  master  expects  service  from  every  one  of 


WORKING    FOR    JESUS  83 

his  servants,  (a)  The  very  idea  of  a  kingdom 
suggests  a  king  and  subjects,  implying  loyalty  and 
allegiance,  (b)  A  talent  was  given  to  every  one ; 
every  one  was  called  to  an  account,  because  the 
master  expected  something  from  every  one  of  his 
servants.  (c)  Paul  loved  to  call  himself  the 
"bond  servant"  of  Jesus  Christ,  declaring  that  he 
was  not  his  own,  but  had  been  bought  with  a 
price.  We  have  all  of  us  as  Christians  been  set 
free  from  the  slavery  of  sin,  that  we  may  be  serv- 
ants of  righteousness  and  of  him  who  redeemed 
us,  not  "with  corruptible  things,  as  silver  and 
gold,  .  .  .  but  with  the  precious  blood  of 
Christ,  as  of  a  lamb  without  blemish  and  without 
spot."  (d)  One  purpose  of  the  Lord's  delayed 
coming  is  that  every  one  may  have  a  splendid 
opportunity  for  service;  no  one  will  be  able  to  say 
at  that  time,  "O  Lord,  you  came  back  too  soon. 
T  didn't  get  a  chance  or  time  to  render  any  serv- 
ice." (e)  The  very  purpose  of  our  endowments 
and  relationships  is  that  we  may  use  all  of  these 
things  for  God.  We  are  stewards  in  respect  to  all 
things  that  we  possess,  and  it  is  required  of 
stewards  that  a  man  be  found  faithful,  (f)  It  is 
God's  design  to  use  men  and  women  in  the  accom- 
plishment of  his  purposes.  No  angel  will  be  sent 
down  to  do  in  your  community  what  God  expects 
you  and  calls  you  to  do.  (g)  The  Master 
expects  service  not  simply  from  ministers  and 
trained  workers,  but  from  every  one  of  his  serv- 


84  WORKING    FOR    JESUS 

ants.  The  parable  as  recorded  in  Mark  says: 
"To  every  man  his  work."  If  you  are  a  son, 
then  the  message  of  the  Master  to  you  is,  "Son, 
go  work  to-day  in  my  vineyard. "  "And  let  him 
that  heareth  say  'Come'."  (h)  There  is  no  place 
for  idlers  in  the  Kingdom  of  God.  The  Master 
seems  continually  to  be  going  about  and  saying, 
"Why  stand  ye  here  the  whole  day  idle?  There's 
work  to  be  done.  There's  a  harvest  to  be 
gathered.  Loafers  are  not  wanted!"  Drones 
were,  in  ancient  times,  "drummed  out  of  camp." 
(i)  If  Christ  is  in  you,  he  will  manifest  himself, 
and  will  cry  out  as  of  old,  "I  must  be  about  my 
Father's  business."  If  you  are  doing  nothing  for 
Christ  you  may  well  doubt  whether  the  Christ  is 
in  you.  If  there  is  not  in  3^ou  some  divine  com- 
pulsion, driving  you  on  in  the  Master's  service, 
you  may  be  sure  that  there  is  not  much  of  the 
Christ  in  you.  You  may  well  doubt  whether  you 
are  a  Christian.  And,  what  is  more,  if  you  are 
doing  nothing  for  him,  you  ivill  soon  doubt 
whether  you  are  in  him:  for  idleness  is  the  sure 
road  to  doubt  and  despair,  (j)  There  is  no  excuse 
for  doing  absolutely  nothing.  The  servant  of 
least  ability,  with  only  one  talent,  had  at  least  the 
exchangers.  Whatever  these  exchangers  may 
represent  in  the  opportunities  of  to-day,  the 
teaching  is  very  clear  that  even  he  had  no  excuse 
for  having  done  absolutely  nothing.  No  one  of 
God's  children  is  doomed  to  idleness  in  his  vine- 


WORKING    FOR    JESUS  85 

yard,  (k)  The  servant  who  went  away  and  dug  a 
hole  in  the  ground  and  "hid  his  lord's  money," 
withdrew  so  much  money  from  active  circula- 
tion, and  embarrassed  to  that  extent  the  affairs 
of  Christ's  kingdom.  During  a  recent  campaign 
in  our  political  world,  people  were  denouncing 
most  severely  all  measures  which  would  tend  to  a 
contraction  of  the  currency,  and  were  heaping 
blessings  upon  the  heads  of  any  whose  policy 
would  honestly  and  surely  increase  the  volume  of 
the  circulating  medium.  All  people,  irrespective 
of  party  affiliations,  were  agreed  that  the  contrac- 
tion of  the  currency  and  hard  times  had  a  close 
connection  with  one  another,  whatever  may  have 
been  the  cause  of  the  contraction.  Money  had 
been  very  seriously  withdrawn  from  the  avenues 
of  trade.  Hard  times  had  come  with  the  strin- 
gency in  the  money-market.  Something  must  be 
done  to  bring  back  into  circulation  a  larger 
amount  of  the  medium  of  exchange.  When  money 
should  begin  again  to  circulate  freely,  good  times 
would  return.  The  Kingdom  of  God  is  suffering 
in  many  places  from  a  contraction  of  the  circu- 
lating medium.  I  speak  not  particularly  with 
reference  to  money  in  the  Kingdom.  I  refer  to 
your  hands,  your  feet,  your  voices,  yourselves. 
They  are  the  circulating  medium  by  which  our 
King  does  business.  There  is  ''hard  times"  in 
the  Kingdom  to-day,  because  you  have  withdrawn 
these  things  from  the  King's  service.     You,  your 


86  WORKING    FOR    JESUS 

voices,  your  feet,  your  hands,  your  influence,  your 
time,  these  are  God's  medium  of  exchange,  by 
which  he  designs  to  carry  on  his  business.  Do 
you  wish  to  know  how  to  bring  about  a  revival  in 
the  religious  life  of  your  community?  There  is 
but  one  sure  way.  Let  there  be  a  return  of  confi- 
dence, on  the  part  of  Christians,  in  God's  Book, 
in  God's  power  and  willingness  to  save  through 
Christ,  in  God's  promises,  in  his  purpose  to  use 
you,  each  one  of  you,  in  some  part  of  this  work,  in 
the  superlative  worth  of  the  soul  of  every  man, 
and  in  his  capacity  for  redemption.  Let  there  be 
on  your  part  a  return  of  confidence  in  these  things, 
and  then  invest — invest  your  every  power!  Con- 
secrate every  relationship  to  God.  Put  into 
circulation  in  God's  Kingdom  your  all;  and 
there'll  be  a  mighty  revival,  not  only  in  your  own 
personal  life,  but  also  in  your  community. 

2.  The  Master  expects  a  peculiar  service  from 
every  one  of  his  servants.  "Unto  one  he  gave 
five  talents,  to  another  two,  to  another  one;  to 
each  according  to  his  several  ability";  or,  as  Mark 
says,  *'To  each  man  his  work."  (a)  All  of  the 
Master's  servants  are  expected  to  serve  him,  but 
they  are  not  all  expected  to  serve  him  in  a  similar 
capacity,  or  in  the  same  way.  To  each  person 
special  duties  and  special  privileges  come.  No 
two  persons  are  exactly  alike  in  ability  or  circum- 
stances. We  are  not  blocks  of  uniform  size,  not 
things,  but  persons.      God  has  so  honored  the 


WORKING    FOR    JESUS  87 

individual  as  to  have  made  each  one  of  us  differ  in 
some  respect  from  every  other  one.  God  never 
made  tv^^o  persons  exactly  alike.  Individuality  is 
stamped  upon  every  member  of  the  human  race. 
We  are  born  as  individuals.  We  die  as  indi- 
viduals. We  are  saved  as  individuals.  Christ 
loves  us  as  individuals.  We  shall  be  judged  as 
individuals.  "For  we  must  all  appear  before  the 
judgment-seat  of  Christ,  that  every  one  may 
receive  the  things  done  in  his  body,  according  to 
that  which  he  hath  done,  whether  it  be  good  or 
bad."  Thus  we  have  peculiar  privileges  and 
peculiar  perils,  and  from  each  one  the  Master 
expects  peculiar  service,  (b)  In  the  recognition 
of  this  fact  lies  the  true  division  of  labor  in  both 
the  religious  and  economic  worlds.  One  of  the 
most  common  causes  of  unrest  and  disaster  in  the 
economic  world,  is  the  failure  to  realize  that  the 
true  division  of  labor  is  groimded  in  capacity  and 
circumstance.  There  are  so  many  "misfits"  in 
life;  men  in  the  law  who  ought  to  be  in  the 
ministry ;  men  in  the  ministry  who  ought  to  be  in 
the  law;  men  in  the  country  who  ought  to  be  in 
the  town,  and  in  the  town  who  ought  to  be  in 
the  country;  men  in  business  who  ought  to  be  in 
the  professions,  and  men  in  the  professions  who 
ought  to  be  in  commercial  life,  etc.,  etc.  Solo- 
mon's proverb,  so  often  mistranslated  and  mis- 
applied, "Train  up  a  child  according  to  his  way" 
(to  his  bent),  "and  when  he  is  old  he  will  not 


SS  WORKINCx    FOR    JESUS 

depart  from  it,"  furnishes  a  true  principle  of 
education ;  and,  in  tlie  future,  we  may  hope  that 
our  youth  shall  be  clearly  taught  the  real  basis  of 
all  true  division  of  labor,  as  grounded  in  capacity 
and  circumstance.  Then,  in  the  future,  so  many 
"misfits"  will  not  occur.  When  the  millennium 
shall  have  come  in  the  economic  world,  every  man 
and  woman  will  be  doing  that  which  he  is  best 
fitted  to  do.  So,  in  the  religious  world,  the  true 
division  of  labor  lies  in  capacity  and  circum- 
stance. Not  all  are  called  to  preach  from  the 
pulpit;  not  all  are  to  call  upon  the  sick;  not  all 
are  to  teach  in  the  Sunday-school.  The  church, 
according  to  Paul's  inimitable  figure,  is  one  body, 
many  members.  "For  the  body  is  not  one  mem- 
ber, but  many.  And  if  they  were  all  one 
member,  where  were  the  body?  But  now  hath 
God  set  the  members  each  one  of  them  in  the 
body,  even  as  it  pleased  him,  and  the  eye  cannot 
say  to  the  hand,  I  have  no  need  of  thee:  or  again, 
the  head  to  the  feet,  I  have  no  need  of  thee. 
Nay,  much  rather,  those  members  of  the  body 
which  seem  to  be  more  feeble  are  necessary. 
Now  ye  are  the  body  of  Christ,  and  members 
each  in  his  part."  Each  one  of  us  has  a  peculiar 
work  to  do,  and  the  work  of  each  is  necessary  to 
the  completeness  of  the  whole.  (c)  Through 
peculiar  service  from  each  servant,  Christ's  far- 
reaching  purposes  will  best  be  fulfilled.  The 
Master  desires  that  his  Kingdom  shall  reach  per- 


WORKING    FOR    JESUS  89 

sons  of  every  profession  and  calling,  of  every  class 
and  circumstance :  consequently  he  wishes  to  have 
workers  in  every  honorable  walk  of  life.  You  can 
work  for  Christ  to  better  advantage  in  the  sphere 
of  your  secular  calling  than  anywhere  else,  and 
to  better  advantage  than  any  one  else.  The 
Christian  lawyer  can  have  more  influence  in 
bringing  the  unconverted  lawyer  to  Christ  than 
can  anybody  else.  The  consecrated  physician  can 
have  more  influence  over  his  non-Christian, 
professional  associates  than  can  any  one  else. 
The  whole-hearted,  devoted  Christian  clerk  can 
have  more  influence  for  Christ  over  his  fellow- 
clerks  than  can  any  one  else.  So  in  case  of  wife 
or  husband,  brother  or  friend.  You,  if  your  life 
is  as  it  ought  to  be,  will  have  most  influence  over 
those  who  know  you  best.  Knowledge  begets 
confidence,  (d)  Whatever  your  future  sphere  of 
labor  may  be,  your  present  one  ought  to  be  per- 
fectly plain.  Do  the  ?iext  thing.  Tell  the  next 
man  what  you  know  about  Jesus.  O  Gadarene! 
"Go  to  thy  house  unto  thy  friends,  and  tell  them 
how  great  things  the  Lord  hath  done  for  thee, 
and  how  he  had  mercy  on  thee."  Begin  at 
home,  and  in  your  own  community,  and  among 
your  own  friends,  to  work  for  Jesus;  and  when, 
by  patient  labor,  you  have  exhausted  the  possi- 
bilities of  that  sphere,  and  by  faithfulness  have 
manifested  your  fitness  for  another,  God  will 
surely  open  up  to  you  new  fields  of  labor.     Begin 


90  WORKING    FOR    JESUS 

just  where  you  are.  Andrew!  bring  Peter. 
Philip!  bring  Nathaniel.  Use  the  opportunities 
which  are  now  in  sight,  and  your  vision  will 
become  keener,  and  you'll  soon  see  more.  To 
the  one  who  uses  what  he  has,  will  more  be  given, 
(e)  In  faithfully  recognizing  that  Christ's  demands 
are  for  peculiar  service  from  each  one  of  us  lies 
the  secret  of  much  true  contentment  and  joy  in 
life.  Let  me  illustrate  this  point  by  referring  to 
an  incident  which  happened  some  years  ago.  It 
was  in  the  summer  of  1890,  at  New  Haven,  Conn. 
Rev.  R.  T.  Vann  was  supplying,  during  the 
pastor's  absence,  the  pulpit  of  the  Calvary  Bap- 
tist Church.  Mr.  Vann,  when  twelve  years  of 
age,  in  attempting  to  help  his  father  in  North 
Carolina,  had  fallen  into  a  sorghum  m.achine,  and 
had  lost  both  of  his  arms,  one  at  the  shoulder  and 
the  other  at  the  elbow.  At  the  time  of  my  meet- 
ing him  in  New  Haven,  I  was  well  and  strong,  in 
the  flush  of  health,  and  had  hardly  known  what  it 
was  to  be  sick  a  day  in  my  life.  His  peace  and 
happiness  in  his  armless  state  were  a  continual 
surprise  to  me,  and  I  asked  him  one  day,  "Don't 
you  often  wish,  Mr.  Vann,  that  you,  like  the  rest 
of  us,  had  two  arms?"  I  shall  never  forget  his 
reply.  It  impressed  me  at  the  time  as  being 
absolutely  sincere,  and  in  recent  years  I  have 
learned  for  myself  the  secret  of  his  peace.  "No, 
I  don't  waste  time  in  wishing  that  any  more.  I 
have   learned  to    get    along    without    arms.      It 


WORKING    FOR    JESUS  91 

would  be  a  great  convenience  to  have  one  hand 
with  which  to  write,  specially  to  my  dear  wife  (I 
can  only  write  a  little  with  the  hook  on  the  stub 
of  arm  that  is  left) ;  often  there  are  so  many  things 
I  should  like  to  tell  her,  but  she  has  learned  to 
read  between  the  lines.  And  then,  too,  when  I 
go  to  call  on  my  people,  it  would  be  a  great  con- 
venience if  I  could  shake  them  by  the  hand;  it 
isn't  much  pleasure  for  them  to  shake  an  empty 
coat  sleeve.  No,  I've  learned  to  get  along  with- 
out arms,  and  to  be  very  happy  and  contented. 
Not  to  have  any  arms  hinders  me,  too,  in  my 
preaching,  but  then,  I've  learned  some  things. 
You  know,  Mr.  S.,  God  never  intended  me  to  be 
a  Spurgeon  or  a  Beecher.  He  simply  wishes  7ne 
to  make  the  most  out  of  the  stuff  that  he  has 
given  to  me.  I  have  long  ago  learned  to  thank 
God  that  I  was  nobody  but  R.  T.  Vann;  if 
you  don't  understand  what  I  mean  now,  before 
you  are  as  old  as  I  am  you  will,  I  trust,  have 
learned  its  meaning"  (his  words  now  seem  like 
prophecy),  "and  when  I  get  up  to  the  bar  of 
God,  I  trust  that  then  I  can  honestly  say,  'Lord, 
here's  old,  armless  R.  T.  Vann.  I  have  honestly 
tried.  Lord,  to  make  the  most  out  of  what  you 
gave  me;  it's  been  a  pleasure  to  serve  you.'  If, 
at  that  day,  I  can  say  that,  will  not  the  Master  be 
pleased?"  This  was  the  substance  of  his  answer 
to  my  question,  and  then  and  there  I  began  to  see 
that,  in  the  clear  recognition  of  the  fact  that  the 


92  WORKING    FOR    JESUS 

Master  expects  peculiar  service  from  each  one  of 
his  servants,  lies  the  secret  of  much  real  happi- 
ness and  joy  in  life. 

3.  This  parable  of  the  talents  brings  out  very 
clearly  also  another  lesson.  Not  only  does  the 
Master  expect  service  from  every  one  of  his  serv- 
ants, and  peculiar  service  from  each  one  of  his 
servants,  but  also,  in  this  service,  viiicJi  will 
depend  upon  the  spirit  of  tJic  servant,  and  the  spirit 
of  the  servant  zvill  depend  inneh  upon  his  conception 
of  his  master.  One  of  the  most  blessed  and  far- 
reaching  thoughts  which  ever  enter  the  mind  of 
man  is  a  true  thought  of  God.  Man's  work  and 
man's  character  are  largely  determined  by  his 
thought  of  God.  As  he  gets  a  true  vision  of  God, 
man's  character  is  ennobled  and  his  work  proves 
inspiring.  As  he  gets  a  false  view  of  God,  man's 
character  is  marred,  and  the  service  of  God 
becomes  drudgery.  One  of  these  servants  had  a 
very  poor  opinion  of  his  master,  which  opinion 
made  him  a  very  poor  servant,  and  robbed  his 
master  of  his  service.  The  servant  who  said,  "I 
knew  thee,  that  thou  art  an  hard  man,  reaping 
where  thou  hast  not  sown,  and  gathering  where 
thou  hast  not  scattered,"  was  the  servant  who 
went  away  and  dug  in  the  ground,  and  hid  his 
lord's  money.  So  some  people  think  of  God  as  a 
hard  taskmaster,  as  a  cruel,  arbitrary  ruler,  as  a 
stern  judge,  before  whom  we  must  appear,  one 
who  has  no  personal  interest  in  us  except  such  as 


WORKING    FOR    JESUS  93 

a  slave-driver,  to  get  out  of  us  as  much  as  pos- 
sible. One  with  such  an  idea  of  God,  if  he  ever 
works  for  him  at  all,  works  as  the  slave  works, 
from  fear,  doing  only  what  may  be  compulsory, 
and  dodging  as  much  work  as  possible.  Such  a 
service  is  dull,  dreary,  dry  drudgery,  with  little 
spirit  and  no  real  joy.  The  biblical  conception  of 
God,  however,  is  far  different  from  this.  The 
great  God  at  the  center  of  the  universe  is  not  a 
monster,  not  a  cruel,  arbitrary  taskmaster,  but  a 
gracious  Father.  He  loves  every  member  of  the 
human  race.  He  is  personally  interested  in  every 
one  of  his  creatures.  He  loves  us  with  an  out- 
reaching,  overflowing  love.  He  has  provided 
salvation  for  all  in  the  sacrifice  of  his  Son.  "As 
many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he  the 
power  (authority,  right)  to  become  the  sons  of 
God. "  He  has  redeemed  us  with  his  own  precious 
blood,  bought  us  out  of  the  slavery  of  sin  and 
called  us  into  his  own  service.  He  places  upon 
us  responsibilities,  and  gives  unto  us  the  privileges 
of  service,  for  the  purpose  of  developing  us.  He 
is  not  a  cruel  taskmaster,  trying  to  get  out  of  us 
as  much  as  possible.  He  is  a  loving  Father, 
anxious  to  make  of  us  as  much  as  possible.  It  is 
a  great  privilege  to  work  for  him.  Faithful  serv- 
ice will  bring  manifold  and  abundant  reward, 
both  here  and  hereafter.  This  was  Paul's  idea  of 
God,  so  strikingly  set  forth  in  his  letter  to  the 
Philippians.      The   thought  is  this:    God    is  my 


94  WORKING    FOR    JESUS 

Friend,  my  Father.  Christ  has  redeemed  me 
with  his  precious  blood,  has  bought  me  with  a 
great  price  for  his  very  own,  has  saved  me  for  a 
great  purpose,  is  ambitious  for  me,  more  so  than 
I  am  even  for  myself,  has  in  his  heart  a  large 
ideal  for  me.  (There  is  a  life-plan  in  the  heart  of 
the  Father  for  each  one  of  his  children.)  Oh! 
Father,  help  me  so  to  live  and  learn,  so  to  aspire 
and  to  act,  as  that  I  may  not  mar  or  cramp,  warp 
or  dwarf  the  life-plan,  the  manhood,  the  character 
to  which  thou  wouldst  have  me  attain.  Help  me 
to  realize,  to  make  my  own,  to  seize,  "to  appre- 
hend that  for  which  also  I  have  been  appre- 
hended of  Christ  Jesus."  Father,  help  me  this 
one  thing  to  do,  "forgetting  those  things  which 
are  behind  and  reaching  forth  unto  those  things 
which  are  before,"  to  press  toward  "the  mark  for 
the  prize  of  the  upward  calling  of  God  in  Christ 
Jesus."  In  joy  or  sorrow,  in  pain  or  pleasure,  in 
prosperity  or  adversity,  "for  me  to  live  is  Christ, 
to  die  is  gain."  And  so  "I  am  in  a  strait  betwixt 
two  things,  having  a  desire  to  depart  and  be  with 
Christ  (which  is  far  better),  nevertheless  to  abide 
in  the  flesh  is  more  needful  for  you."  I  stand 
between  two  mountain  peaks  of  blessing.  Two 
great  boons  loom  up  before  me :  to  live  for  Christ, 
to  reproduce  the  Christlike  character,  to  win  fruit 
for  eternity;  or  to  die  and  be  forever  with  Christ. 
Both  are  rare  privileges  indeed,  either  is  a  pleas- 
ure worth  pursuing.     How  shall  I  choose?    This 


WORKING    FOR    JESUS  95 

is  the  spirit  of  Paul,  the  willing  servant  of  Jesus 
Christ.  The  slave  serves  from  fear;  the  hireling 
serves  for  money;  the  son  serves  from  love.  "If 
ye  know  these  things,  blessed"  (happy)  "are  ye  if 
ye  do  them." 


The   Bible,   the  Word  of   God 

jp  ^  ^ 

Isaiah  40:8. — ''The  grass  withereth,  the  fioiver  fadeth, 
but  the  Word  of  our  God  shall  stand  forever." 

Matt.  24:3s- — ''Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but 
My  words  shall  not  pass  away.'' 

JJC»  JJC  JJC> 

IN  this  age  of  books,  the  truth  of  Sir  Walter 
Scott's  statement,  "There  is  but  one  book," 
constantly  becomes  more  apparent.  Every 
year  witnesses  an  increasing  amount  of  devout, 
searching  and  systematic  study  of  the  Bible.  This 
study  assumes  various  forms — the  study  of  the 
text,  the  study  of  the  literary  form,  the  historical 
study  of  the  source  and  character  of  the  material, 
the  exegetical  study  of  the  meaning,  and  the 
devotional  study  for  the  upbuilding  of  the 
spiritual  life.  This  study  of  the  Bible,  specially 
the  historical  study,  has  given  rise  to  many  ques- 
tions which  have  been  popularized  through 
magazines,  lecture  bureaus,  and  some  pulpits,  and 
which  have  unnecessarily  disturbed  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  not  a  few  of  God's  people.  For 
instance,  "What  is  the  date  and  composition  of 

96 


THE  BIBLE,  THE  WORD  OF  GOD      97 

the  Pentateuch,  the  first  five  books  of  the  Bible? 
Did  Moses  write  them,  or  are  they  of  composite 
authorship?  Or,  again,  did  David  write  all  of  the 
Psalms  ascribed  to  him  in  the  Psalter,  or  were 
many  of  them  written  by  others,  and  ascribed  by 
tradition  to  David?  Did  Isaiah  write  all  of  the 
book  w  hich  is  called  by  his  name,  or  did  one  man 
write  the  first  thirty-nine  chapters,  and  another, 
living  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  after,  write  the 
last  twenty-seven  chapters?  Is  the  book  of 
Zechariah  a  unit,  or  were  there  two  Zech- 
ariahs?  How  many  letters  were  written  by  the 
Apostle  Paul?  Who  was  the  author  of  Hebrews?" 
These  are  a  few  of  the  questions  that  are  being 
discussed  in  many  places,  and  are  disturbing  the 
faith  of  some.  And  yet,  all  of  these  questions  are 
matters  of  relatively  minor  importance ;  many  of 
them  are  extremely  technical,  and  are  capable  of 
answer  only  by  specialists.  All  have  to  do  with 
the  nature  and  method  of  revelation,  rather  than 
with  the  fact  of  revelation.  I  am  not  so  much 
concerned  as  to  how  or  through  whom  God  gave 
the  Bible,  as  I  am  with  the  fact  that  God  gave  it. 
It  will  not  materially  affect  my  faith  if  all  of 
these  questions  of  the  nature  and  method  of 
revelation  are  answered  differently  in  the  future 
from  what  they  have  been  in  the  past.  I  only 
need  to  know  that  "the  Bible  is  the  book  which 
brings  to  the  church  and  to  the  world  the  true 
word  of  God  concerning  redemption  from  sin," 


98     THE  BIBLE,  THE  WORD  OF  GOD 

that  it  is  the  word  of  God — God's  book;  that  he 
has  sent  it  forth,  is  behind  it,  has  taken  care  of  it 
in  the  past,  and  will  throughout  all  time.  Then 
I  may  be  sure,  as  Professor  Ladd  has  said  in  the 
conclusion  of  his  discussion,  "What  is  the  Bible?" 
that  "no  discovery  of  modern  biblical  criticism, 
science  or  archeology  can  detract  from  or  diminish 
the  power  of  the  Bible  to  do  what  God  intended  it 
should  do."  However,  to  strengthen  the  faith  of 
the  strong,  to  clarify  the  minds  of  the  troubled, 
and  to  help  the  honest  inquirer  after  truth,  I  pro- 
pose to  give  this  morning  a  few  of  the  reasons 
why  I  believe  the  Bible  to  be  the  word  of  God. 

I .  Unity  zvitJi  Diversity. — The  first  reason  which 
I  mention  is  drawn  from  the  fact  of  the  wonder- 
ful unity  with  diversity  which  the  Bible  presents. 
Here  we  have  a  book,  or  rather,  a  collection  of 
sixty-six  books,  written  by  as  many  as  forty 
different  authors,  during  a  period  of  from  1,500  to 
2,000  years.  If  the  views  of  certain  higher  critics 
are  to  be  accepted,  that  some  of  these  single  books 
were  written  by  several  authors  rather  than  one, 
the  force  of  the  present  argument  is  only  made 
the  stronger.  Here,  then,  we  have  a  book,  or 
rather,  a  collection  of  sixty-six  books,  written  by 
many  authors  during  a  long  period  of  time. 
These  writers  lived  and  wrote  in  different  coun- 
tries, far  apart  from  each  other  in  space  and  time. 
Some  lived  and  wrote  under  the  shadow  of  the 
Pyramids   in    Egypt;    some    in    the    deserts    of 


THE  BIBLE,  THE  WORD  OF  GOD      99 

Arabia ;  some  among  the  hills  of  Palestine ;  some 
amid  the  magnificence  of  a  Nebuchadnezzar; 
some  in  the  provinces  of  the  Persians;  some  in 
the  cities  of  Asia  Minor,  and  Greece;  some  in 
imperial  Rome.  They  wrote  in  different  ages  of 
the  world.  Some  when  the  Pharaohs  ruled  a 
mightly  empire  upon  the  Nile ;  some  when  Solo- 
mon built  the  magnificent  temple  at  Jerusalem; 
some  when  the  proud  Assyrian  roamed  over  the 
plains  of  Mesopotamia;  some  when  the  Caesars 
ruled  the  world.  They  wrote  in  different 
languages;  some  in  the  language  of  faith,  the 
stately  Hebrew;  others  in  degenerate  Aramaic, 
and  others  in  the  flowing,  expressiv^e  tongue  of 
the  Greeks.  They  wrote  in  different  forms  of 
literature — we  have  prose  and  poetry,  history, 
biography,  legislation,  and  philosophy,  orations, 
hymns,  letters,  didactic,  lyric,  narrative,  illustra- 
tive, dramatic,  and  allegorical  forms  of  literature. 
These  writers  came  from  different  ranks  in  life, 
and  represented  every  class  in  society — kings  and 
fishermen,  shepherds  and  statesmen,  royal  Isaiah, 
and  herdsman  Amos,  rich  and  poor,  uneducated 
and  learned,  prophet,  priest  and  king,  warrior, 
farmer,  and  tent-maker,  royal  cup  bearer  and 
regal  monarch,  the  rough  ascetic  of  the  desert, 
and  the  polished  companion  at  the  king's  court; 
men  widely  different  in  education  and  natural 
ability,  under  widely  different  political,  social, 
and  religious  conditions,  writing  from  their  own 


loo   THE  BIBLE,  THE  WORD  OF  GOD 

national  or  temporal  point  of  view,  in  their  own 
way,  with  characteristic  styles,  peculiar  phrases 
and  constructions,  and  marked  individuality. 
They  treated  of  many  different  themes,  of  angels 
and  demons,  of  earth,  heaven  and  hell,  of  justice 
and  mercy,  of  love  and  wrath,  of  law  human  and 
divine,  of  duty  and  destiny,  of  present,  past,  and 
future,  of  soul  and  body,  of  the  individual,  the 
family,  the  state;  treating  of  or  touching  upon 
well-nigh  every  theme  of  human  thought.  Such 
is  the  marvelous  diversity  in  place,  time,  lan- 
guage, literature,  men,  style,  and  themes  in  the 
Bible;  and  yet,  amid  all  this  diversity,  there  is 
such  a  unity  in  aim,  such  a  oneness  in  all  the  parts, 
such  a  consistency  in  teaching  concerning  God  and 
man,  sin  and  salvation,  and  the  other  mighty 
themes  which  are  treated,  that  the  sixty-six  books 
have  been  bound  together  under  a  common  cover, 
and  called,  pre-eminently,  ' '  The  Book. ' '  There  is 
something  in  these  books  so  unique  as  to  bind 
them  one  to  another,  and  forever  to  separate  them 
from  other  writings.  Men  have  tried  again  and 
again  to  produce  other  sacred  writings,  but  the 
natural  and  the  artificial  flowers  are  separated  by 
an  immeasurable  distance.  There  is  a  life,  a 
power,  a  fragrance,  in  these  writings  not  found 
elsewhere.  But  these  books  are  characterized  not 
only  by  a  strange  unity — one  doctrine  of  God,  of 
sin,  of  salvation,  of  heaven,  of  hell,  of  duty,  which 
seems  very  remarkable — but  also,  from  the  first  to 


THE  BIBLE,  THE  WORD  OF  GOD    loi 

the  last,  there  is  "a  gradual  progressiveness  in  the 
unfolding  of  truth;  there  is  a  steady  march 
onward  from  outward  and  material  to  inward  and 
spiritual  conceptions  of  religion,  a  constantly  ris- 
ing and  hopeful  outstretching  toward  a  better  and 
higher  future, ' '  a  converging  of  all  things  toward 
one  event,  and  an  unfolding  from  that  event. 

Again,  the  uniform  silence  of  these  books  upon 
topics  which  merely  gratify  curiosity,  and  the 
bending  of  all  energy  in  discussing  God's  claim 
upon  men,  is  a  striking  feature  of  unity.  Some 
one  has  truly  said,  "Throughout  the  Bible  the 
crimson  cord  of  sacrifice  is  clearly  manifest,  on 
which  the  books  are  strung  together  as  beads  on  a 
thread."  No  other  collection  could  be  made 
of  books  written  at  such  widely  separated  times 
and  places,  by  such  different  men,  under  such  a 
variety  of  circumstances,  even  upon  a  single 
theme,  that  would  manifest  any  such  unity  of 
thought  and  purpose.  Only  one  rational  ex- 
planation can  be  given  to  account  for  this 
unity  amid  such  diversity.  The  Book  must 
have  been  the  product  of  one  mind  that 
planned  and  directed  the  whole  of  it  from 
beginning  to  end,  and  that  one  mind  could 
have  been  none  other  than  God.  I  am  told  that, 
when  the  great  cantilever  bridge  over  the  Niagara 
rapids  was  constructed,  the  various  parts  were 
made  in  different  portions  of  the  land,  and  all 
finished  and  shipped  to  Niagara  ready  for  use. 


I02    THE  BIBLE,  THE  WORD  OF  GOD 

They  were  then  fastened  together,  and  every 
brace  and  bolt  and  beam  was  an  exact  fit.  Only 
one  rational  explanation  can  be  given — one 
master  mind  had  furnished  the  plans  and  specifica- 
tions, and  the  several  parts  had  been  made  accord- 
ing to  the  patterns  given.  And  so  this  Book, 
written  by  men  in  different  lands  and  times,  in 
different  languages  and  forms,  is  a  unit  from 
beginning  to  end,  formed  according  to  the  direc- 
tions of  the  master  mind  of  its  divine  architect — 
God. 

2.  Universal  Adaptation  to  Human  Needs. — A 
second  reason  why  I  believe  the  Bible  is  the  word 
of  God  is  because  of  its  universal  adaptation  to 
human  needs.  It  is  the  only  universal  book. 
Other  books  are  limited  more  or  less  to  small 
circles  of  readers.  Some  are  interesting  to  boys 
and  men,  others  to  girls  and  women;  some  are 
profitable  to  youth,  others  to  middle  life  and  old 
age;  some  we  pick  up  in  our  joy,  others  we  turn 
to  in  times  of  sadness ;  some  are  the  delight  of  the 
rich  and  prosperous,  others  are  the  solace  of 
the  poor  and  the  afflicted ;  some  are  favorites  in 
the  Orient,  others  are  popular  only  among 
Anglo-Saxons.  But  in  the  Bible  we  find  the 
one  book  of  universal  adaptation,  suited  to  the 
needs  of  man  and  woman,  old  and  young,  rich 
and  poor,  educated  and  uneducated;  a  book  not 
limited  by  clime  or  condition,  age  or  nationality, 
into  which  men  and  women,   boys  and  girls,  of 


THE  BIBLE,  THE  WORD  OF  GOD    103 

every  people,  of  every  tongue,  may  look  as  into  a 
mirror,  and  see  reflected  there  their  own  needs  and 
defects,  and  in  which  may  be  found  a  balm  for 
every  wound.  This  book  touches  life* at  so  many 
points,  is  so  adapted  to  every  human  need,  that 
strangers,  reading  it  for  the  first  time,  are  so 
impressed  with  its  truthfulness  as  to  feel  that  it 
must  have  been  written  specially  for  them.* 
When  Dr.  Chambers  had  read  to  the  natives  of  an 
East  Indian  city  the  first  chapter  of  Romans,  an 
intelligent  Brahmin  said  to  him:  *'Sir,  that 
chapter  must  have  been  written  for  us  Hindoos. 
It  fits  us  exactly."  In  Lyons,  France,  an  igno^ 
rant  listener  said  to  Dr.  McCall,  as  he  read  the 
Bible  to  him,  "Never  in  my  life  have  I  heard  the 
truth  so  explained;  my  conscience  answers  to  it." 
A  prisoner  in  a  Massachusetts  prison,  when  asked 
why  he  believed  the  Bible  to  be  the  word  of  God, 
said,  "It  strikes  a  fellow  so."  This  universality 
of  the  Bible  makes  it  the  most  easy  of  all  books 
to  translate  into  other  tongues.  Of  Bible  transla- 
tion, some  one  has  truly  said:  "From  Greenland 
to  Patagonia,  in  the  western  hemisphere,  and 
from  Iceland  through  Europe  and  Asia  to  the 
Japanese  and  Australians,  from  the  Copts  of 
Egypt  to  the  Kaffirs  of  South  Africa,  from  the 
South  Sea  Islands  of  the  Pacific  through  the  ocean 
to  Madagascar,  the  Bible  has  been  rendered  into 

*  The  author  here  wishes  to  acknowledge  a  debt  to  Dr.  C. 
H.  Parkhurst  for  thoughts  and  quotations. 


I04    THE  BIBLE,  THE  WORD  OF  GOD 

each  language  with  triumphant  success."  Hal- 
lam,  the  historian,  said,  "I  see  that  the  Bible  fits 
into  every  fold  and  crevice  of  the  human  heart.  I 
am  a  man,  and  I  believe  that  this  is  God's  book 
because  it  is  man's  book."  It  is  greater  than  any 
and  every  man.  It  is  the  book  for  the  whole 
human  race,  and  is  destined  to  become  so  more 
and  more.  It  speaks  from  God  to  the  human 
soul.  It  penetrates  to  the  innermost  recesses  of 
man's  being,  and  satisfies  the  deepest  yearnings 
of  his  nature.  It  is,  as  it  claims  to  be,  "living 
and  active  and  sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword, 
and  piercing  even  to  the  dividing  of  soul  and 
spirit,  of  both  joints  and  marrow,  and  quick  to 
discern  the  thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart." 
It  finds  a  man.  It  appeals  to  intellect,  imagina- 
tion and  the  sensibilities.  The  race  and  every 
individual  needs  redemption  from  sin,  needs 
cleansing  and  stimulating.  As  long  as  the  pres- 
ent order  continues,  there  will  be  sin  and  sorrow, 
loneliness  and  death,  for  which  no  other  book  than 
the  Bible  can  furnish  a  true  antidote.  Its  uni- 
versal adaptation  to  human  needs  reveals  the  wis- 
dom of  its  author,  and  proves  it  to  be  divine. 

3.  Its  Permanence. — A  third  reason  why  I 
believe  the  Bible  is  the  word  of  God  is  based 
upon  its  permanence,  the  way  in  which  it  has 
survived  the  opposition  of  its  foes  and  the  abuses 
of  its  friends.  What  a  history  it  has  had! 
Through  what  fire  and  water  and  blood  it  has 


THE  BIBLE,  THE  WORD  OF  GOD    105 

passed !  No  other  book  has  ever  been  so  hated  by 
bad  men,  and  so  abused  by  good  men.  It  has 
been  put  under  the  ban  of  excommunication,  has 
been  criticised  and  ridiculed  and  burnt.  Every 
possible  resource  of  diabolic  Avrath  has  been 
exhausted  in  the  attempt  to  destroy  it,  and  yet  it 
has  gone  marching  steadily  on.  Every  century 
has  produced  its  quota  of  opponents ;  school  after 
school  of  destructive  criticism  has  arisen,  each 
boasting  of  some  new  discovery,  or  the  finding  of 
some  fatal  flaw,  that  would  destroy  its  power. 
But  the  critics  pass  away,  their  dogmatic  asser- 
tions are  proved  fallacious,  and  the  grand  old 
book  gains  added  might.  And  oh!  how  it  has 
been  abused  by  its  supposed  friends!  It  has  been 
mistranslated  and  misapplied.  It  has  been  wor- 
shiped as  an  idol  and  consulted  as  an  oracle. 
Its  sayings  have  been  wrested  from  context  and 
used  to  prove  well-nigh  everything.  It  has  been 
used  as  authority  for  slavery  and  polygamy,  has 
been  made  to  sanction  an  inquisition  and  the 
burning  of  witches,  to  support  the  subjugation  of 
women  and  the  divine  right  of  kings.  Scarcely 
any  freak  of  fanaticism,  any  ism  or  ology,  has 
arisen  in  Christian  lands  which  has  not  souofht 
justification  in  the  Bible.  And  yet,  in  spite  of 
such  terrible  opposition,  and  such  fearful  handi- 
caps, the  Bible  stands  to-day  peerless  in  its  power 
and  majestic  in  its  might. 

The  size  of  a  force  may  be  estimated  by  the 


io6    THE  BIBLE,   THE  WORD  OF  GOD 

amount  of  its  resistance,  and  the  real  worth  of  a 
thing  by  its  fitness  to  survive,  and  when  we  try  to 
estimate  the  forces  which  have  been  hurled 
against  the  Bible  and  which  have  been  success- 
fully resisted,  we  feel  that  it  must  have  behind  it 
the  very  dynamite  of  God ;  and,  when  we  consider 
how  it  has  survived  the  centuries  amid  such 
unfavorable  surroundings,  we  feel  convinced  that 
it  is  because  it  is  best  fitted  to  survive.  Not  only 
has  it  survived  the  actions  of  foes  and  friends,  but 
it  keeps  pace  with  all  of  the  discoveries  of  science, 
history,  and  archeology.  Newly  discovered  monu- 
ments and  manuscripts,  the  researches  of  arche^ 
ology  and  the  discoveries  of  science  only  confirm 
its  teachings,  illumine  its  records  and  give  new 
meaning  and  added  applications  to  its  truths. 

4.  Its  Past  Infliieyice  and  Present  Poiver. — A 
fourth  reason  why  I  believe  the  Bible  is  the  word 
of  God  is  based  upon  its  past  influence  and  its 
present  power.  Its  past  influence  began  with  the 
earliest  times,  for  the  Bible  contains  the  oldest 
literature  extant.  Some  of  its  records  were 
doubtless  written  one  thousand  years  before 
Herodotus,  the  so-called  father  of  history,  was 
born.  Hebrew  legislation  is  at  least  seven  hun- 
dred years  older  than  the  laws  of  Lycurgus ;  the 
lyric  poetry  of  the  Bible  was  in  its  golden  age 
nine  hundred  years  before  Horace  wrote  his 
odes;  the  Proverbs  of  Solomon  are  fully  eight 
hundred  years  older  than  the  treatises  of  Seneca, 


THE  BIBLE,   THE  WORD  OF  GOD    107 

while  the  book  of  Job  probably  antedated  Homer 
by  eight  centuries.  Of  the  Bible  it  may  be  said, 
as  Napoleon  said  to  his  army  at  the  Pyramids, 
"Forty  centuries  look  down  upon  you."  And 
yet,  during  this  long  period  of  varied  experiences, 
the  Bible  has  triumphantly  met  the  supreme  test. 
"By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  The  in- 
fluence of  the  Bible,  wherever  it  has  had  largest 
and  longest  sway,  has  ever  been  productive  of 
the  highest  results.  It  has  always  been  the 
handmaid  of  progress.  Froude,  the  historian, 
says  of  the  influence  of  the  Bible  in  human  affairs, 
"All  that  we  call  modern  civilization  in  a  sense 
which  deserves  the  name,  is  the  visible  expression 
of  the  transforming  power  of  the  gospel."  Vic- 
toria, when  asked  the  secret  of  England's  national 
strength,  pointed  to  the  Bible  and  said:  "This  is 
the  secret  of  the  greatness  of  England."  Of  the 
power  of  the  Bible  in  literature.  Prof.  Austin 
Phelps  says:  "The  Bible  is  to  a  large  extent  incor- 
porated in  all  of  the  living  literature  of  the  world; 
not  in  all  in  equal  degrees,  but  in  all  sufficiently 
to  be  felt  as  power.  The  debt  of  literature  to 
the  Bible  is  like  that  of  vegetation  to  light.  The 
hymnology  of  all  modern  languages  has  been 
absolutely  created  by  Hebrew  Psalmody.  The 
ancient  classics,  so  far  as  I  know,  have  not  con- 
tributed a  single  stanza  to  it."  The  greatest  of 
modern  orators  also  have  been  inspired  by  the 
Bible.     The  Earl  of  Chatham,  Patrick  Henry,  and 


io8    THE  BIBLE,  THE  WORD  OF  GOD 

Daniel  Webster  constantly  acknowledged  their 
debt  to  its  pages.  Art  has  been  revolutionized, 
and  the  dissolute  Venus  displaced  by  the  Divine 
Madonna.  The  Bible  has  always  had  "the 
singular  power  of  attracting  to  itself,  as  friend  or 
foe,  the  thinkers  of  the  world  wherever  it  has 
gone.  It,  with  the  literature  commenting  upon 
it,  is  more  voluminous  than  all  that  remains  to  us 
of  Greek  and  Latin  literature  combined.  The 
commentaries  upon  the  Bible  exceed  60,000  vol- 
umes, while  the  sermons  of  a  single  year  would 
probably  amount  to  more  than  100,000,000  octavo 
pages. ' '  Yet  this  oldest  of  all  printed  books,  which 
for  centuries  has  wielded  such  a  mighty  influence, 
is  to-day  the  freshest,  most  up-to-date,  most 
widely  circulated  and  most  largely  read  of  all 
books.  He  who  says  the  Bible  is  out  of  date,  or 
is  losing  its  power,  is  either  ignorant  on  the  sub- 
ject, or  dishonest,  or  both.  It  never  has  been 
read  and  studied  by  as  many  people  as  to-day. 
It  has  a  larger  circulation  than  any  other  book  in 
the  world,  and  "Pilgrim's  Progress,"  which  is  so 
largely  a  paraphrase  of  Scripture,  comes  second. 
A  few  cold  facts  from  only  one  or  two  of  the  many 
large  Bible  publishing  houses  will  make  the  force 
of  this  statement  more  apparent.  Three  presses 
in  England  alone  printed  last  year  6,000,000 
Bibles  and  parts  of  Bibles  for  Christian  wor- 
ship in  320  different  languages,  to  go  to  all  parts 
of  the  world,  to  say  nothing  of  presses  in  America 


THE  BIBLE,  THE  WORD  OF  GOD    109 

and  other  lands.  The  daily  output  of  the  Oxford 
press  is  4,000  Bibles,  an  average  of  20,000  per 
week,  or  1,000,000  each  year.  The  weekly  ship- 
ment to  America  of  Oxford  Bibles  is  five  and 
one-half  tons,  and  the  demand  is  increasing.  In 
the  last  twenty  years,  the  demand  for  the  Oxford 
Bible  has  doubled — 500,000  copies  issued  in  1875, 
and  1,000,000  a  year  in  1896.  The  books  of  the 
British  &  Foreign  Bible  Society  show  likewise  a 
marked  yearly  increase,  4,000,000  Bibles  or  por- 
tions of  Bibles  having  been  issued  in  one  year, 
1896.  This  one  society,  during  the  ninety-two 
years  of  its  existence,  has  issued  147,000,000 
copies  of  the  Bible.  These  undeniable  facts  are 
evidence  enough  of  the  present  power  of  the 
book,  and  of  the  fact  that  never  before  in  its  his> 
tory  have  its  teachings  been  so  earnestly  and 
largely  studied.  These  four  things,  then,  I  pre- 
sent as  some  of  the  reasons  why  I  believe  the 
Bible  to  be  the  word  of  God — its  wonderful  unity 
with  diversity,  its  universal  adaptation  to  the 
needs  of  the  race,  its  permanence  in  surviving  the 
actions  of  foes  and  friends,  and  the  advances  of 
science  and  discoveries  of  archeology,  and  its  past 
influence  and  present  power.  These  four  lines  of 
evidence  must  amount  to  a  demonstration  to  any 
candid  mind,  and  bring  the  conviction  that  the 
Bible  is  none  other  than  the  word  of  God.  No 
other  cause  is  adequate  to  account  for  the  effect. 
And  yet  there  are  in  the  soul  of  every  believer 


no   THE  BIBLE,  THE  WORD  OF  GOD 

still  stronger  reasons  for  the  abiding  conviction 
that  the  Bible  is  the  very  word  of  God.  The 
surest  knowledge  of  the  deepest  realities  comes 
from  self-consciousness  and  personal  experience — 
knowledge  which  cannot  be  expressed  in  syllogis- 
tic form.  Mr.  Huxley  has  told  us  that  "the  higher 
truths  of  life  are  within  the  reach  of  the  aesthetic 
faculties  only";  heart  wisdom  is  safer  than  head 
wisdom,  and  life  mightier  than  logic.  And  the 
best  way,  after  all,  to  be  convinced  of  the  divine 
origin  of  the  Bible,  is  to  take  it  and  try  it ;  make  it 
one's  counselor  and  guide,  and  test  it  oneself  by 
its  fruits.  "If  any  man  willeth  to  do  his  will,  he 
shall  know  of  the  teaching,  whether  it  be  of 
God  or  whether  I  speak  of  myself."  Obey  and 
you  shall  know ;  obedience  is  the  organ  of  spiritual 
vision.  If  you  will  take  the  Bible  and  apply  it  to 
your  life  faithfully  and  fervently,  you  will  find 
that  it  not  only  gives  the  very  highest  conceptions 
of  life  and  truth,  but  also  furnishes  effective 
motive  power  to  urge  you  on  to  these  higher 
realities.  The  more  intelligently,  constantly  and 
devoutly  you  use  it,  the  higher  will  be  the  prod- 
uct; it  will  transform  and  bnild  up;  it  will  draw 
you  Godward,  and  in  doing  so  v\dll  convince  you 
that  it  comes  from  God.  And  when  others  are 
inclined  to  criticise  its  sacred  pages,  or  doubt  its 
authority,  you  may  well  say,  "If  you  take  from 
me  this  book  yon  must  give  me  something  better, 
something  tliat  will  do  more  to  bless  our  homes. 


THE  BIBLE,  THE  WORD  OF  GOD    iii 

\  urge  society,  develop  strength  and  sweetness  of 
character,  bring  into  human  hearts  love,  peace, 
joy,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  meekness,  faith, 
temperance,  will  lessen  the  sorrows  of  life  and 
lighten  the  tomb.  Until  you  do  this  I  shall  hold 
to  the  book.  I  have  absolute  confidence  in  its 
being  divine.  It  is  the  word  of  God.  I  know  it 
through  reason.  I  feel  it  in  my  heart,  and  no 
fires  or  storms  can  overthrow  its  power. ' '  Some 
one  has  thus  spoken  of  the  triumph  of  the  Bible : 

"Last  eve  I  paused  beside  a  blacksmith's  door, 
And  heard  the  anvil  ring  the  vesper  chime ; 
Then,  looking  in,  I  saw  upon  the  floor 

Old  hammers  worn  with  beating  years  of  time. 

'How  many  anvils  have  you  had?'  said  I, 

'To  wear  and  batter  all  those  hammers  so?' 
'Just  one,'  said  he;  then  said  with  twinkling  eye, 

'The  anvil  wears  the  hammers  out,  you  know. ' 
And  so  I  thought  the  anvil  of  God's  Word 

For  ages  skeptic  blows  have  beat  upon ; 
Yet,  though  the  noise  of  falling  blows  was  heard, 

The  anvil  is  unharmed,  the  hammers  gone." 


The  Dignity  and  Destiny 
of  Man 

^  a^  a^ 

Hebrews  z-S-Q- — ''For  not  unto  the  angels  did  he  subject 
the  world  to  come  whereof  we  speak.  But  one  hath 
somewhere  testified,  saying, 

'What  is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him? 
Or  the  son  of  man,  that  thou  visitest  him? 
Thou  madest  him  a  little  lower  than  the  angels ; 
Thou  crownedst  him  with  glory  and  honor, 
And  didst  set  him  over  the  work  of  thy  hands : 
Thou  didst  put  all  things  in  subjection  under  his  feet.' 

For  in  that  he  subjected  all  things  unto  him,  he  left 
nothing  that  is  7tot  subject  to  him.  But  now  we  see 
not  yet  all  things  subjected  to  him.  But  we  behold  him 
who  hath  been  made  a  little  lower  than  the  angels, 
even  Jesus,  because  of  the  suffering  of  death  crowned 
with  glory  and  honor ^  that  by  the  grace  of  God  he 
should  taste  death  for  every  man." 

Jp  jjc»  jp 

THE  quotation   beg-inning-  "What   is  man," 
etc. ,  is  taken  from  the  eighth  psalm.     This 
psalm  is  one  of  the  four  psalms  of  David, 
expressive   of  his   feelings    as   a    shepherd   boy, 
the   nineteenth,   twenty-third,    and   twenty-ninth 
being  the   other  psalms  of  his   poetical   youth. 


DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN    113 

This  eighth  psahn  is  a  song  of  the  night.  The 
sun,  which  went  forth  in  the  morning,  *'as  a 
bridegroom  out  of  his  chamber,  rejoicing  as  a 
strong  man  to  run  a  race,"  has  now  finished  his 
circuit  from  one  end  of  the  heavens  to  the 
other,  and  has  dropped  out  of  sight,  appar- 
ently beneath  the  waves  of  the  blue  Mediter- 
ranean. But  no  sooner  does  the  sun  disappear 
than  the  moon  and  the  stars  begin  to  shine.  As 
the  shades  of  night  deepen,  the  stars  seem  to 
glow  with  greater  brilliancy,  and  hang  like  balls 
of  fire  in  the  clear  vault  of  an  oriental  sky. 
Those  who  have  spent  nights  in  Colorado 
recall  how  near  and  how  large  the  stars 
seem  to  be  in  such  an  atmosphere.  David  is 
tending  his  father's  flock  on  the  quiet  hills  of 
Bethlehem.  Being  both  an  oriental  and  a  shep- 
herd poet,  he  is  much  given  to  star-gazing. 
Amid  his  lowly  duties  he  has  lofty  thoughts. 
His  poetic  soul  is  aglow  with  inspiration.  The 
glories  of  the  night-time  feed  the  muse's  fire; 
and,  as  he  lies  upon  his  back  amidst  his  sheep, 
and  peers  into  the  starry  heavens,  his  soul  bursts 
forth  into  ecstasy  as  in  this  eighth  psalm : 

"O  Lord,  our  Lord, 

How  excellent  is  thy  name  in  all  the  earth ! 

Who  hast  set  thy  glory  upon  the  heavens. 

Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings"  (David  is  a  mere 

boy)  "hast  thou  established  strength, 
Because  of  thine  adversaries, 
That  thou  mightest  still  the  enemy  and  the  avenger. 


114   DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN 

When  I  consider  thy  heavens,  the  work  of  thy  fingers, 

The  moon  and  the  stars,  which  thou  hast  ordained; 

What  is  man,"  (man  in  his  weakness  and  littleness)  "that 

thou  art  mindful  of  him? 
And  the  son  of  man  that  thou  visitest  him?" 

When  I  think  of  the  heavens  and  their  wide 
extent,  thy  creation;  when  I  look  at  the  moon 
and  the  countless  stars,  the  work  of  thy  fingers, 
what  is  weak,  little,  insignificant  man  that  thy 
mind  is  full  of  him ;  and  the  son  of  man  that  thou 
art  willing  to  visit  him.  This  is  the  inspiring 
thought  that  swelled  the  soul  of  the  shepherd  boy. 
And  yet,  how  little  it  was  that  David  knew  con- 
cerning the  extent  of  God's  universe!  What  a 
small  world  it  was  in  which  David  moved !  What 
did  he  know  about  moon  or  stars  or  heavens! 
What  did  he  know  about  the  movement  of  the 
spheres,  or  of  countless  worlds  revolving  about  a 
central  sun !  To  David,  the  earth  was  but  a  flat 
plain,  more  or  less  limited  in  extent;  and  the 
heavens  were  a  tent  stretched  above  the  earth,  in 
which  moon  and  stars  were  hung  as  lamps.  David 
knew  nothing  of  the  discoveries  of  Copernicus. 
David  had  never  looked  through  a  mighty,  modern 
telescope,  and  had  little  conception  of  the  vast 
distances  to  the  stars.  Had  he  possessed  even 
one-tenth  of  the  knowledge  of  one  of  our 
common-school  boys  or  girls  of  to-day,  with  what 
added  reverence  his  glowing  soul  would  have 
sung: 


DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN    115 

"When  I  consider  thy  heavens,  the  work  of  thy  fingers, 
The  moon  and  the  stars,  which  thou  hast  ordained ; 
What  is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him? 
And  the  son  of  man,  that  thou  visitest  him?" 

Evidently,  bigness  is  not  greatness,  and  size  is 
not  alwa5's  significant.  Evidently,  persons  are  of 
more  value  than  things;  and  men  and  women 
into  whom  God  has  breathed  the  breath  of  his 
own  life  are  of  more  importance  to  him  than 
countless  worlds,  the  ctmning  workmanship  of 
his  fingers.  A  personal  God  is  supremely  inter- 
ested in  persons.  Surely  children  in  his  own 
image  and  likeness  are  more  precious  than  moon 
and  stars.  It  is  of  them  that  his  mind  is  full; 
upon  them  his  heart  is  set ;  with  them  he  yearns  to 
dwell. 

"For  thou  hast  made  him  but  Httle  lower  than  the  angels, 

And  crownest  him  with  glory  and  honor. 

Thou  madest  him  to  have  dominion  over  the  works  of  thy 

hands ; 
Thou  hast  put  all  things  under  his  feet. ' ' 

Here  David  recalls  how,  in  that  wonderful  poem 
of  creation,  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  it  was 
recorded:  "And  God  said,  Let  us  make  man  in 
our  own  image,  after  our  likeness :  and  let  them 
have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea  and  over  the 
fowl  of  the  air,"  etc.,  etc.,  "and  over  all  the 
earth."  And  so  David  sings,  in  echo  of  the  first 
chapter  of  Genesis,  of  the  dignity  and  destiny  of 
man: 


ii6    DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN 

"Thou  madest  him  to  have  dominion  over  the  works  of  thy 

hands ; 
Thou  hast  put  all  things  under  his  feet: 
All  sheep  and  oxen"    (David  was  even  now   a   shepherd 

ruling  over  sheep), 
''Yea,  and  the  beasts  of  the  field"  (perhaps  David  recalls 

how  he  bearded  the  lion  and  slew  the  bear) ; 
"The  fowl  of  the  air,  and  the  fish  of  the  sea. 
Whatsoever  passes  through  the  paths  of  the  seas. 

0  Lord,  our  Lord, 

How  excellent  is  thy  name  in  all  the  earth!" 

This    is    the    eighth    psalm,    from    which   the 
writer  of  Hebrews  quotes   in  this  passag-e  which 

1  have  taken  as  a  text,  and  upon  this  quota- 
tion he  now  proceeds  to  comment.  God  did 
make  man  to  have  dominion.  God  did  put  all 
things  in  subjection  imder  his  feet.  "For  in 
that  he  subjected  all  things  unto  him,  he  left 
nothing  that  is  not  subject  to  him."  Yes,  man 
was  made  to  have  dominion,  and  to  rule  over  all 
created  things.  So  says  the  Scripture.  But,  as 
we  look  about  upon  men  and  the  condition  of 
things  to-day,  we  don't  see  men  rulers  over  all 
things.  We  see  them  not  rulers,  not  conquerors, 
not  masters ;  but  in  many  instances  and  in  many 
particulars,  cringing  slaves;  slaves  of  fear,  slaves 
of  appetite  and  passion ;  slaves  in  body,  mind  and 
spirit.  Truly,  as  the  writer  of  Hebrews  sa3^s, 
"but  now  we  see  not  yet  all  things  subjected  to 
him."  A  sad  sight  it  is,  indeed,  to  see  men  and 
women,  created  in  the  image  of  God,  created  to 
have  dominion,  and  yet  not  even  masters  of  them- 


DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN    117 

selves.  To  see  them  slaves  of  self,  slaves  of  sin, 
slaves  of  their  fellows.  "But  now  we  see  not  yet 
all  things  subject  to  him.  But  we  behold  him 
who  hath  been  made  a  little  lower  than  the  angels, 
even  Jesus,  because  of  the  suffering  of  death, 
crowned  with  glory  and  honor,  that  by  the  grace 
of  God  he  should  taste  death  for  every  man." 
While  the  race  in  general  has  fallen  far  short  of 
its  high  dignity  and  destiny,  one  man  of  the  race, 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  has  risen  to  the  height  of  man's 
privilege  and  prerogative,  has  triumphed  where 
others  failed,  and  now  sits  crowned  with  glory 
and  honor,  the  victorious  representative  of  all 
those  who  through  him  shall  also  overcome. 
This  passage,  then,  suggests  three  thoughts  for  our 
present  consideration:*  Man  as  God  made  him, 
man  as  sin  has  made  him,  and  man  as  manhood 
was  revealed  in  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  and  as  man 
may  become  through  faith  in  him. 

I.  Let  us  look  at  the  man  that  God  made.  The 
first  two  chapters  of  Genesis  give  us  a  picture  of 
man  as  he  was  created.  A  world  of  beauty  and 
harmony  was  made,  and  at  the  end  of  each  period 
of  creation  God  saw  that  it  was  good.  Creation 
proceeded  on  an  ever  ascending  scale,  from  lower 
to  higher,  from  the  simple  to  the  complex,  from 
vegetable  to  lower  animals,  from  creepers  to 
quadrupeds.  At  each  step  God  was  pleased  with 
the  work  of  his  hands.     Finally,  when  all  things 

*  Cf.  F.  B.  Meyer  on  Hebrews  in  loco. 


ii8    DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN 

had  been  made  ready  to  serve  and  minister  to 
him,  man,  the  climax,  the  masterpiece  of  God, 
was  formed  and  established  as  ruler  over  all. 
"And  God  created  man  in  his  own  image,  in  the 
image  of  God  created  he  him :  male  and  female 
created  he  them.  And  God  blessed  them:  and 
God  said  nnto  them,  'Be  fruitful,  and  multiply, 
and  replenish  the  earth,  and  subdue  it;  and  have 
dominion. '  ' '  Thus  was  man  created  in  God's  own 
image,  and  appointed  to  rule  over  the  earth  in 
God's  stead.  In  what  did  this  divine  image  and 
likeness  consist?  Doubtless  it  consisted  in  nat- 
ural likeness  to  God,  or  the  possession  of  person- 
ality; and  in  moral  likeness  to  God,  or  the 
possession  of  holiness.  Man  was  constituted  a 
personal  creature  and  a  holy  person.  He  was 
given  certain  faculties,  intellect,  affection,  will; 
and  these  faculties  were  given  a  holy  direction  or 
tendency.  By  his  personality,  man  was  enabled 
to  know  himself  as  related  to  the  world  and  to 
God,  and  was  given  the  power  to  choose  moral 
ends  and  to  determine  his  purposes  in  life.  By 
his  holiness,  or  moral  likeness  to  God,  "man  was 
created  with  such  a  direction"  (trend  or  tendency) 
"of  his  affections  and  will"  as  to  make  it  natural, 
spontaneous,  for  him  to  love  and  serve  God. 
Yet,  with  his  holiness,  he  retained  his  personal 
freedom,  had  the  power  of  contrary  choice,  and 
was  liable  to  temptation,  even  as  was  the  second 
Adam,  the  Christ  of  Nazareth.     Thus,  in  person- 


DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN    119 

ality  and  holiness,  in  nature  and  in  morality,  was 
man  created  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God. 
"And  God  said,  'Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and 
replenish  the  earth,  and  subdue  it;  and  have 
dominion.'"  Man  was  not  only  made  in  God's 
image,  but  also  he  was  created  to  rule.  He  was 
constituted  a  king  by  divine  right.  He  was  God's 
own  son,  God's  representative,  God's  vicegerent 
upon  earth.  "The  sun  to  labor  for  him  as  a  very 
Hercules,  the  moon  to  light  his  nights,"  and  lead 
ocean's  waters  round  the  earth  with  cleansing 
tides,  "the  elements  of  nature  to  be  his  slaves  and 
messengers,  flowers  to  scent  his  path,  fruits  to 
please  his  taste,  birds  to  sing  for  him,  fish  to  feed 
him,  beasts  to  toil  for  and  carry  him."  Truly, 
his  dignity  and  his  destiny  was  an  high  one.  No 
other  book  gives  us  such  an  exalted  and  lofty 
conception  of  man  as  does  the  Bible,  and  yet,  no 
other  book  paints  so  truly  and  vividly  the  deceit- 
fulness  and  depravity  of  the  unrenewed  heart. 
The  idolater  regards  himself  as  inferior  to  beasts 
and  birds  and  crawling  things,  and  bows  in 
reverence  to  worship  them.  The  materialist 
thinks  himself  only  flesh  and  blood,  a  mass  of 
matter  formed  by  the  chance  accumulation  of 
unreasoning  atoms.  Some  so-called  scientists 
regard  man  as  the  offspring  of  the  monkey,  and 
feel  rather  sure  that  they  can  trace  their  own 
ancestry  back  to  the  brute.  But  the  Bible,  with 
its  true  conception  of  man  as  well  as  of  God,  rises 


I20   DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN 

above  all  of  these  misrepresentations,  and  boldly 
declares  man  to  be  the  child  of  a  heavenly  Father, 
created  in  his  image  and  after  his  likeness.  Thus 
we  behold  the  man  that  God  made,  in  a  world  of 
beauty,  harmony  and  peace,  in  which  he  himself 
is  "lord  of  all  he  surveys."  He  is  surrounded 
with  a  magnificent  palace  yard,  the  garden  of 
Eden.  He  walks  and  talks  with  God  in  the  most 
familiar  way.  His  employment  is  of  the  most 
delightful  kind,  for  God  loves  him  too  much  to 
doom  him  to  idleness.  He  is  to  trim  the  trees, 
train  the  flowers,  and  gather  the  fruits  of  the 
garden.  His  dominion  is  boundless.  His  rule  is 
absolute.  He  is  king  over  all  things.  Neverthe- 
less, there  is  one  limitation  of  his  power,  one  con- 
dition of  his  reign.  His  will  must  be  subordinate 
to  the  will  of  the  Almighty.  He  must  bow  down 
and  worship  the  God  who  made  him.  This,  for 
a  time,  the  man  seemed  willing  to  do ;  and  so  long 
as  he  did  so,  he  retained  his  almost  sovereign 
sway.  But  now,  tempted  by  a  rebel  to  distrust 
God's  love  and  God's  wisdom,  man  became  uneasy 
under  the  sole  limitation  of  his  power.  Ambition 
was  aroused;  and,  when  promised  that  upon  one 
act  of  disobedience  his  eyes  should  be  opened,  and 
he  should  become  equal  with  God,  man  volun- 
tarily stepped  over  the  mark,  raised  his  own  will 
in  rebellion  against  his  Maker's,  broke  away  from 
communion  with  his  Father,  and  lost  his  crown. 
2.   This  brings  us  secondly  to  the  beginning  of 


DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN    121 

that  sad  history  of  man  as  sin  has  made  him.  No 
sooner  does  man  sin  than  conscience  makes  him  a 
coward.  Yonder  is  that  erstwhile  sovereign 
man,  hiding  like  a  cringing  slave  "behind  the 
trees  of  the  garden  from  the  Lord  of  the  garden." 
He  is  now  no  longer  king.  He  has  dethroned 
himself.  His  crown  is  rolling  in  the  dust. 
Selfishness  has  now  become  the  supreme  rule  of 
existence ;  the  soul  has  lost  communion  with  the 
source  of  its  life;  the  holy  nature  has  become 
tainted  and  perverted;  affections  are  corrupted, 
intellect  blinded,  will  fettered.  Now  he  finds  it 
easier  to  sin  than  to  do  right,  for  self  has  become 
his  God.  He  has  begun  the  downward  path,  and 
down,  down,  down,  he  goes,  at  a  terrific  rate. 
Fallen  man  begets  children  in  his  own  fallen  like- 
ness, and  hands  down  his  corrupted  nature  and 
perverted  disposition  to  his  descendants.  Fear, 
jealousy,  hate,  soon  take  possession  of  man,  and 
the  deteriorating  process  is  hastened  by  his  own 
multiplied  and  multiplying  sins.  Cain  kills  Abel, 
and  his  sin  reacts  upon  himself  and  still  further 
debases  his  own  character.  So  low  does  man 
become,  so  much  a  slave  of  his  guilty  self,  that  we 
soon  see  this  one-time  monarch,  this  one  made 
for  dominion,  bowing  down  in  worship  before  the 
weakest  and  lowest  creatures  of  his  kingdom. 
Yonder,  in  Egypt,  he  worships  frogs,  and  flies, 
and  pays  homage  to  serpents.  Here  he  has  con- 
secrated a  temple  to  the  sacred  bull,  while  yonder 


122    DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN 

he  kisses  the  dust  in  reverence  before  a  golden 
calf.  He  trembles  as  a  suppliant  before  "sticks 
and  stones  and  worse  than  senseless  things.  "  Or, 
to-day,  he  is  a  slave  of  fear  and  remorse,  of  appe- 
tite and  passion,  of  drinks  and  drugs,  of  society 
and  custom.  The  image  of  God,  in  which  he  was 
created,  has  not  been  lost ;  but  it  is  sadly  marred 
and  scarred  by  sin  and  selfishness.  Man  is  a  lost 
sheep,  afar  off  on  the  mountains,  away  from  the 
shepherd's  fold.  He  is  a  lost  coin,  still  valuable, 
stamped  with  the  image  and  superscription  of  a 
king;  but  lost  to  its  highest  usefulness  and  miss- 
ing the  very  purpose  of  its  existence.  He  is  a  lost 
son ;  still  a  son  of  his  Father,  but  a  prodigal,  his 
will  in  rebellion  against  his  Father's  will,  and  his 
life  deprived  of  the  blessings  and  privileges  of  the 
home-life.  Yes,  he  is  lost,  lost,  lost!  Neverthe- 
less, he  is  capable  of  redemption;  for  he  still 
possesses  personality  and  a  moral  nature,  however 
much  that  moral  nature  may  have  been  perverted. 
Yes,  man,  a  failure,  may  yet  become  man,  a 
success.  Paradise  Lost  may  yet  be  Paradise 
Regained.  "For  the  Son  of  Man  came  to  seek 
and  to  save  those  that  are  lost."  Christ  came  not 
only  to  reveal  to  us  the  Father,  but  to  reveal  us 
to  ourselves.  He  came  to  show  us  what  manhood 
meant;  what  man  might  have  been;  and  what  a 
man,  through  him,  may  yet  become. 

3.   Let   us   note   then,   thirdly,   man   as   Christ 
revealed  manhood,  manhood  to  which  we  also  may 


DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN    123 

attain  through  faith  in  him.  In  Christ  manhood 
was  at  its  maximum,  and  the  ancient  ideal  was 
fully  realized  in  every  particular.  He  was  pre- 
eminently the  man,  the  Son  of  Man,  the  perfect 
man;  the  only  member  of  the  human  race  in 
whom  has  been  manifested  the  complete  idea  of 
humanity.  He  must  forever  stand  at  the  very 
apex  of  mankind.  No  improvement  can  ever  be 
made  upon  him.  In  him,  we  find  every  virtue 
carried  to  its  highest  excellence ;  in  him,  we  find 
no  vice,  even  in  its  lightest  form.  The  verdict  of 
all  who  carefully  scrutinize  his  character  must  be 
but  a  re-echoing  of  the  judgment  of  Pilate,  '*I  find 
no  fault  in  him."  You  may  take  any  other  very 
good  man,  with  the  most  distinguished  heredity, 
with  the  strongest  and  sweetest  character,  with 
the  most  auspicious  environment,  and,  through 
the  education  of  life,  books  and  communion  with 
God  and  man,  you  may  develop  him,  through 
centuries,  to  the  very  highest  point  of  excellence, 
and  in  this  wonderful  man  you'll  not  find  any 
virtue,  any  excellence  of  character,  that  you  do 
not  find  in  the  man  of  Galilee.  Christ  possessed 
and  combined,  in  the  most  remarkable  way, 
"every  grace  and  every  virtue  which  human 
nature  ever  has  displayed,  or  ever  will  display,  in 
the  course  of  its  universal  development.  Match- 
less beauty,  spotless  purity,  stainless  splendor, 
strength  with  gentleness,  courage  with  tender- 
ness, charity  with  righteousness"  ;  the  lowliest  and 


124    DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN 

yet  the  lordliest,  the  meekest  and  yet  the  mightiest 
of  men.  He  realized  in  his  life  what  the  first 
Adam  and  his  descendants,  through  sin,  failed  to 
realize.  He  manifested  God's  image  and  God's 
likeness  everywhere.  He  was  sovereign  in  all  his 
commands.  He  was  king  over  himself,  over 
nature,  over  all  created  things.  Winds  and  waves 
obeyed  him.  ''Trees  withered  at  his  touch." 
Fish  in  shoals  came  at  his  call.  Droves  of  cattle 
fled  before  his  scourging  whip.  Disease,  demons 
and  death  bowed  before  his  will.  In  every  way 
he  trod  the  earth  as  a  conqueror;  and  now,  as 
victorious  man,  as  well  as  Son  of  God,  he  sits 
crowned  with  glory  and  honor.  The  first  man, 
Adam,  believed  the  lie  of  the  devil,  and  lost  his 
crown.  The  second  man,  Christ,  obeyed  at  every 
point  the  will  of  his  Father,  and  now  sits 
enthroned  in  his  glorified  humanity.  The  first 
man,  Adam,  aspired,  through  disobedience,  to 
equality  with  God,  and  lost  his  earthly  kingdom. 
The  second  man,  Christ,  stooped  down  from  a 
heavenly  throne,  took  upon  himself  humanity, 
partook  of  flesh  and  blood,  lived  a  perfect  and 
obedient  life  as  a  Son,  as  a  man,  and  now,  as 
man's  representative,  he  sits  crowned.  As  Paul 
tells  us  in  Philippians,  "being  found  in  fashion  as 
a  man,  he  humbled  himself  and  became  obedient 
unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross;  where- 
fore God  hath  highly  exalted  him." 

Yes,  Christ  has  triumphed,  and  is  crowned ;  but 


DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN    125 

only  as  a  first  fruits,  as  the  captain  of  our  salva- 
tion, as  the  leader  "of  many  sons  to  glory,"  as 
the  "first  among  man}^  brethren."  He,  the 
victorious  man,  offers  to  help  us  win  a  similar  vic- 
tory. "As  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave 
he  the  power"  (the  right)  "to  become  the  sons  of 
God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name." 
There  is  only  one  way  by  which  the  dignity  and 
destiny  of  man  may  again  be  realized,  and  that  is 
through  faith  in  him.  If  we  join  our  lives  with 
his,  and  let  him  live  in  and  through  us,  we  shall 
surely  win.  We  shall  be  "more  than  conquerors 
through  him  that  loved  us. "  Throtigh  fellowship 
with  him,  it  may  be  true  of  each  one  of  us,  that 
there  is  no  sin  or  sinful  tendency  which  we  may 
not  overcome,  and  no  virtue  or  excellence  to 
which  we  may  not  attain.  The  progress  may 
seem  slow,  and  the  attainment  distant.  We  shall 
need  to  exercise  patience  with  ourselves,  and 
patience  with  each  other,  but  the  outcome  cannot 
be  doubtful.  The  main  thing  now  is,  are  you 
tending  in  the  right  direction?  Is  your  life  a  vic- 
torious life?  Are  you  becoming  more  and  more 
like  your  Master?  Which  is  it  in  your  case, 
conqueror  or  conquered?  Victor  or  victim?  Is 
the  life  getting  sweeter,  the  character  stronger ; 
are  the  purposes  higher?  If  so,  then  take  cour- 
age; for  through  him  you  shall  surely  conquer. 
You  shall  see  him  as  he  is.  Yes,  you  shall  be  like 
him. 


126    DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN 

And  is  there  some  one  here  this  evening  who 
is  living"  without  the  conscious  help  of  such  a 
Savior?  One  who  feels  himself  being  more  and 
more  overcome;  who  realizes  that  the  divine 
image  and  likeness  have  been  sadly  scarred  and 
soiled  by  sin  and  selfishness?  Will  you  not  give 
up  your  own  unaided  and  vain  efforts  after  truest 
manhood  or  womanhood,  and  take  Christ  as  your 
best  helper  and  friend?  He  knows  all  of  your 
trials.  He  is  thoroughly  fitted  to  be  your  Savior. 
He  has  been  tempted  in  all  points  as  you,  and  has 
triumphed.  Accept  him  as  your  Savior  now,  and 
you'll  begin  at  once  to  overcome.  You  must  stoop 
to  conquer,  but  he  will  crown  you  at  the  last. 
The  possibilities  of  a  life  have  been  illustrated  by 
the  history  of  a  silk  rag.  Yonder  is  a  rag-picker, 
going  up  and  down  the  streets  and  lanes  of  the 
city,  picking  up  rags  and  pieces  of  paper,  which 
she  carelessly  thrusts  into  a  dirty-looking  bag. 
Thus  she  spends  many  weary  hours  of  the  day. 
But  now,  she  sees  something  which  specially 
arouses  her  interest.  It's  soiled  and  dirty,  and 
half  buried  in  an  ash  heap.  It  looks  like  the 
commonest  sort  of  a  cast-off  rag.  But  she  picks 
it  up,  with  the  greatest  interest,  carefully 
smoothes  it  over  her  knee,  and,  instead  of  thrust- 
ing it  carelessly  into  the  junk-bag,  she  carefully 
puts  it  into  her  pocket.  It  isn't  worth  much. 
It's  only  a  dirty  rag;  but  ifs  silk!  The  rag-picker 
takes  it  to  the  broker  and  gets  perhaps  a  penny 


DIGNITY  AND  DESTINY  OF  MAN    127 

for  it ;  the  broker  sends  it  to  the  renovator ;  the 
renovator  sends  it,  with  other  silk  rags,  to  the 
paper  mills  at  Eau  Claire,  where  the  finest  of  fine 
paper  is  made  from  it.  It's  now  worth  perhaps 
fifteen  cents.  Then  the  government  sends  to  Eau 
Claire  an  order  for  some  extra  fine  paper;  the 
paper  is  sent  on  to  Washington,  and  is  stamped, 
and  the  old  rag  now  becomes  a  government  bond 
of  immense  worth.  The  rag  zvas  silk!  So,  my 
friend,  if  you'll  give  your  soiled  and  scarred  life 
into  the  hands  of  the  world's  great  Redeemer, 
he'll  purge  you  from  your  impurities,  he'll  renew 
your  heart,  he'll  lead  you,  develop  you,  train  you 
and  enlarge  you  through  time  and  throughout 
eternity,  until  there  shall  be  no  virtue  which  you 
shall  not  realize,  and  no  height  which  you  may  not 
reach.  May  God  help  each  one  of  us,  through 
Christ,  to  attain  here  and  hereafter  to  the  true 
dignity  and  destiny  of  manhood  and  womanhood. 


Sorrows    Sanctified 

'^'^'^ 

James  1:2-4. — ''My  brethren,  count  it  all  joy  when  ye 
fall  into  divers  temptations;  knowing  this,  that  the 
trying  of  your  faith  worketh  patience.  But  let 
patience  have  her  perfect  work,  that  ye  may  be  Per- 
fect and  entire,  wajiting  jiothing." 

'^'^'^ 

THE  epistle  in  which  the  words  of  our  text 
are  found  was  written  by  that  James,  the 
brother  of  our  Lord,  who  was  for  years 
at  the  head  of  the  Jerusalem  church.  It  was 
addressed  to  the  Christian  Jews,  who  were  at  this 
time  scattered  over  the  entire  known  world;  and 
it  had  as  its  purpose  their  comfort  and  admoni- 
tion in  view  of  existing  and  future  trials.  The 
lot  of  the  Christian  Jew  was  indeed  a  hard  one, 
and  it  was  very  appropriate  that  some  such 
words  as  those  of  our  text  should  have  been 
written  to  him,  to  buoy  him  up  in  the  midst  of  his 
overwhelming  woes. 

His  troubles  came,  in  general,  from  two 
sources.  There  were,  first,  the  unchristian 
Jews,  that  vast  majority  of  the  Jewish  nation, 
who  still  clung  tenaciously  to  Judaism,  and  had 

128 


SORROWS  SANCTIFIED  129 

nought  but  curses  and  revilings  for  any  who 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  hated  Nazarene.  If, 
perchance,  any  one  of  their  own  number  renounced 
Judaism  for  Christianity,  he  was  earnestly  labored 
with,  and  all  possible  efforts  Avere  made  to  reclaim 
him  from  the  error  of  his  ways.  It  is  probable  that 
many  were  thus  induced  to  return  to  Judaism, 
since  the  book  to  the  Hebrews  was  called  forth  to 
counteract  just  such  a  tendency.  If,  how- 
ever, a  Jew  persisted  in  his  new-born  faith, 
he  was  considered  a  breeder  of  disorder, 
a  heretic;  was  subjected  to  the  most  bitter 
denunciations;  was  mercilessly  dragged  be- 
fore the  synagogue  for  trial;  and,  as  history 
seems  to  show,  sometimes  received  sentence  of 
death.  The  bitterness  of  these  persecutions  was 
still  sharpened,  when  one's  persecutors  were 
those  of  one's  own  home,  one's  own  flesh  and 
blood;  when  wife  and  father,  son  and  daughter, 
vied  with  one  another  in  heaping  curses  upon  the 
new-born  Christian  and  his  beloved  Redeemer. 
Oh !  we  at  this  distant  day,  and  in  these  Christian 
times,  can  have  little  idea  of  the  terrible  hatred 
of  which  the  Jew  was  capable.  The  hatred  which 
these  Jews  had  for  their  apostate  brethren  is  well 
expressed  by  Shakespeare,  when  he  puts  into  the 
mouth  of  Shylock,  respecting  Antonio,  the  words: 

"  I  hate  him,  for  he  is  a  Christian. 
If  I  can  catch  him  once  upon  the  hip 
I  will  feed  fat  the  ancient  grudge  I  bear  him." 


I30  SORROWS   SANCTIFIED 

Hatred  has  found  its  very  incarnation  in  the 
Judases  and  Shylocks  of  history,  and  in  the  howl- 
ing mob  which  thronged  the  throne  of  Pilate 
and  only  quenched  its  thirst  in  the  blood  of  the 
Son  of  God. 

But  these  Christian  Jews,  in  common  with  all 
Jews,  had  also  another  source  of  trouble.  It  was 
the  presence  everywhere  in  their  beloved  land  of 
the  conquering  Roman.  Judea  was  now  a  Roman 
province;  her  freedom  was  gone;  the  legions  of 
the  Emperor  were  quartered  in  all  her  cities ;  the 
most  sacred  rites  and  places  of  her  history  were 
defiled  by  heathen  bands;  on  all  sides  appeared 
the  signs  of  decay  and  of  ultimate  national 
extinction ;  and  within  twenty  years  from  the  time 
of  the  writing  of  this  Epistle,  Jerusalem,  the 
City  of  Peace,  the  center  of  the  grandest,  most 
momentous  and  most  terrible  events  of  Jewish,  if 
not  of  the  world's,  history,  will  have  been  burned 
by  the  Roman,  Titus. 

In  view  of  such  present  and  future  trials,  the 
words  of  our  text  would  not  have  failed  to  com- 
mand careful  attention.  But  perhaps  some  one 
may  say,  "These  words  have  no  reference  to  us, 
since  we  have  no  such  trials  as  those  of  our  early 
Christian  brethren.  Why  should  we  give  heed  to 
such  a  text  as  this?"  We  answer,  it  is  true  that 
these  words  were  written  primarily  for  a  certain 
people,  under  certain  social,  political  and  religious 
distresses;    true  that  many  of  us  to-day  are  not  in 


SORROWS    SANCTIFIED  131 

similar  circumstances ;  but  we  all  have  trials  and 
troubles  of  various  sorts.  We  all,  I  say,  have 
trials  and  troubles.  Mine  are  no  greater  than 
yours,  and  yours  are  no  greater  than  mine ;  and 
these  words  contain  principles  of  life  so  broad  as 
to  be  applicable  to  all  times  and  to  all  people,  and 
were  intended,  under  divine  Providence,  to  be  a 
source  of  comfort  and  consolation  to  all  of  God's 
children  in  every  age  of  the  world.  Let  us,  then, 
consider  for  this  morning,  the  theme,  "Sorrows 
Sanctified,"  or,  "The  divine  ideal  of  Christian 
conduct  in  the  midst  of  trials." 

It  is  well  to  recall,  in  passing,  that  the  word 
translated  in  our  text  temptation  does  not  convey 
to  us  the  exact  idea  of  the  original  Greek.  The 
word  trials  as  given  by  the  revisers  in  the  margin, 
and  preferred  by  the  American  Committee,  is 
less  likely  to  be  misunderstood.  By  a  temptation 
we  generally  mean  a  seduction  to  evil,  an  inclina- 
tion to  sin,  an  impulse  to  do  that  which  is  wrong; 
while  the  word  trial  is  broader,  and,  though  it  con- 
tains the  meaning  of  the  word  temptation,  refers 
here  also  to  what  we  call  sorrows,  trouble,  disap- 
pointment, such  as  come  from  the  loss  of  property, 
of  position  or  reputation,  of  health  or  of  friends. 

Notice,  again,  that  our  text  assumes  the  exist- 
ence, not  of  a  single  trial,  but  of  divers,  many- 
colored  trials.  These  Christian  Jews  were 
encompassed  with  trials.  We  have  mentioned  but 
two  sources  of  woe.    Trials  are  many  and  of  vari- 


132  SORROWS    SANCTIFIED 

ous  kinds,  and  as  we  read  the  history  of  the  past,  or 
reflect  on  the  condition  of  things  to-day,  we  recog- 
nize the  truth  of  the  text,  and  sometimes  say,  in  a 
proverbial  form,  "Troubles  never  come  singly." 

To  persons  under  such  circumstances,  in  the 
midst  of  many  varied  trials,  the  words  of  our  text 
come,  "Count  it  all  joy  when  ye  fall  into  divers 
temptations." 

I.  We  note,  in  the  first  place,  that  trials  are 
largely  subjective.  Seneca,  a  famous  Latin 
writer,  said,  "Our  grief  lieth  in  our  own  opinion 
and  conception  of  miseries,"  while  Emerson,  of 
our  own  times,  expressed  a  similar  sentiment 
when  he  said,  "The  light  in  which  we  see  the 
world  comes  from  the  soul  of  the  observer."  Let 
me  illustrate  the  truth  expressed  in  these  rather 
abstract  statements.  Here  are  two  men  whose 
afflictions  are  in  themselves  equal.  This,  of 
course,  is  a  presumptive  case,  for  no  two  men 
have  trials  which  are  exactly  similar;  and  yet 
allow  the  case  for  purposes  of  illustration.  Here 
are  two  persons  whose  trials  are  in  themselves 
equal.  To  the  one  they  appear  as  crushing  woes; 
to  the  other  they  are  afflictions  which  endure  but 
for  a  moment.  The  one  is  borne  down  and  over- 
come by  them ;  the  other  bears  bravely  up  under 
and  rises  above  them.  The  one  is  rendered  nar- 
row and  hard-hearted,  the  other  is  broadened, 
developed  and  rendered  tender-hearted.  The  one 
is  marred  by  them,  the  other  is  made  by  them. 


SORROWS    SANCTIFIED  133 

Where  lies  the  difference?  Not  in  the  afflictions 
themselves,  but  in  the  attitude  of  the  two  men 
toward  them.  Compare  Pharaoh  and  Job.  The 
plagues  of  the  frogs,  the  lice,  the  flies,  the  boils, 
and  the  darkness  fell  upon  Pharaoh,  and  at  the 
end  of  the  story  of  each  we  read  the  melancholy 
words,  "And  Pharaoh's  heart  was  hardened." 
Upon  Job  even  severer  afflictions  fell.  His  oxen, 
his  asses,  his  sheep,  his  camels,  his  servants,  yea, 
all  his  children,  were  taken  away;  and  yet,  at 
the  end  of  this  catalogue  of  fatalities,  we  read 
this  significant  statement:  "Then  Job  arose  and 
rent  his  mantle  and  shaved  his  head  and  fell  down 
upon  the  ground  and  worshiped  and  said,  'Naked 
came  I  out  of  my  mother's  womb,  and  naked  shall 
I  return  thither:  the  Lord  gave  and  the  Lord 
hath  taken  away,  blessed  be  the  name  of  the 
Lord.'  "  Afflictions,  then,  are  largely  subjective, 
and  much  depends  upon  the  attitude  of  men 
toward  them. 

2.  Again,  the  nature  of  man's  endurance  of 
trial,  as  well  as  the  effect  of  trial  upon  his  char- 
acter, depends  upon  his  belief,  his  faith  in  respect 
to  two  things:  First,  what  is  the  source  and 
immediate  purpose  of  affliction?  As  regards  this 
question,  men  can  be  divided  into  two  great 
classes.  There  are,  of  course,  all  shades  of  belief, 
but  these  two  classes  will  be  found  to  be  fairly 
representative.  In  the  days  of  Greek  philos- 
ophers,  the  Stoics  were  a  large  and  influential 


134  SORROWS    SANCTIFIED 

school.  They  held  that  the  universe  was  nothing 
but  the  expression  of  a  blind,  unintelligent  force. 
Joys  and  sorrows  come  alike  to  all.  A  blind  fate 
determines  all  of  the  events  of  life.  There  is  no 
purpose  in  events.  There  is  no  philosophy  of 
life,  except  the  philosophy  of  cold,  stoical  endur- 
ance. Man  is  a  machine,  a  puppet  in  a  show,  a 
thing  without  volition,  irresistibly  driven  on  to  a 
purposeless  destiny  by  an  impersonal  and 
remorseless  Fate.  Personality?  There  is  none 
in  God  or  man. 

The  Stoic,  in  the  midst  of  affliction,  contracted 
his  features,  gritted  his  teeth,  folded  his  arms, 
firmly  placed  his  heel  on  the  ground,  and  said,  "I 
endure  because  I  must."  There  was  no  cheer, 
no  uplift,  no  joy,  no  buoyancy,  about  such  an 
endurance  as  that.  It  was  purely  animal  cour- 
age, hardly  worthy  even  of  admiration.  The 
American  Indian  was  a  fine  modern  example  of 
the  ancient  Stoic.  It  is  needless  to  remark  that 
to-day  there  is  a  large  number  of  people  whose 
system  of  thought  and  manner  of  life  are  fatal- 
istic and  stoical  in  their  tendency. 

In  striking  contrast  with  this  class  of  men  stands 
a  class  of  persons  whom  we  call  Christians.  The 
Christian  believes  in  a  personal  God,  a  God  all- 
powerful,  yet  all-wise,  holy,  yet  benevolent,  a 
being  who  desires  the  highest  good  of  every  one 
of  his  creatures.  The  Christian  believes,  and 
here  I  would  not  be  misunderstood,  that  all  trials 


SORROWS    SANCTIFIED  135 

and  afflictions  of  every  sort  come  directly  or 
indirectly  under  the  providing  or  permitting 
providence  of  a  personal,  holy  and  benevolent 
God,  and  that  they  are  disciplinary  in  their  pur- 
pose ;  that  they  are  a  test  of  faith,  and  that  God, 
as  a  wise  father,  chastens  (trains)  whom  he  loves. 
In  view  of  this  fact,  these  Jewish  Christians  and 
all  followers  of  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus  are 
urged  to  be  cheerful  in  the  midst  of  various  trials, 
knowing  this,  that  the  trying  of  their  faith  work- 
eth  patience,  or,  rather,  endurance.  For  one, 
who  professes  to  be  a  believer  in  God  and  a  fol- 
lower of  the  patient  and  suffering  Savior,  to  be  a 
discontented  grumbler,  a  kicker,  a  morose  com- 
plainer  and  a  pessimistic  bore,  is  to  impugn  the 
character  of  God,  to  cast  reflections  on  the  truth 
of  his  Word,  to  disgrace  the  Church  of  Christ, 
and  to  help  to  make  the  name  of  Christian  a 
byword  and  a  reproach.  As  you  believe  in  God 
and  his  eternal  purpose,  as  you  believe  in  Christ 
and  his  saving  power,  as  you  believe  in  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  his  ministrations  of  comfort  and  peace, 
as  5^ou  profess  to  have  your  life  hidden  with 
Christ  in  God,  and  to  be  walking  by  faith  in  him, 
as  seeing  him  who  is  invisible,  in  the  name  of  the 
Triune  God,  I  beseech  of  you: 

"  Look  up  and  not  down ; 
Look  out  and  not  in ; 
Look  forward  and  not  back 
And  lend  a  hand." 


136  SORROWS    SANCTIFIED 

A  faith  which  has  never  been  tested  is  generally 
a  weak,  sickly  sort  of  thing.  The  house-plant 
which  has  been  carefully  guarded  from  all  oppos- 
ing winds  and  currents,  the  hot-house  flowers 
which  have  been  ever  accustomed  to  a  constant 
temperature,  quickly  wither  and  fall  away  when 
the  hoar-frost  strikes  them ;  but  that  sapling,  faith, 
which  stands  out  in  the  open  field,  where  winds 
and  storms  play  upon  it,  sends  its  shoots  deeper 
at  every  tug  of  the  tempest,  and  wreathes  its 
roots  around  the  everlasting  rocks.  It's  when  we 
have  to  buffet  the  storm,  when  the  tempests  roar, 
and  the  earth  trembles  beneath  our  feet,  that  faith 
is  tested,  and  through  testing  becomes  firm.  Out 
of  struggle  strength  is  born,  and  from  the  midst 
of  conflict  convictions  come.  No  one  realizes  the 
trustworthiness  of  God,  or  the  faithfulness  of  his 
promises,  as  he  who  has  been  through  the  furnace 
of  trouble  and  found  them  true.  Such  an  one 
feels  sure  that  "all  things  work  together  for  good 
to  those  that  love  God." 

"The  trying  of  faith  worketh  patience."  How 
shall  we  describe  this  marvelous  product, 
patience !  They  call  it  a  negative  virtue,  a  silent 
virtue,  a  passive  virtue ;  but  if  it  is  negative  and 
silent  and  passive,  it  is  not  less  powerful.  The 
mightiest  forces  of  the  universe  are  the  silent 
forces. 

"  The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God 
And  the  firmament  showeth  his  handiwork. 


SORROWS    SANCTIFIED  137 

Day  unto  day  uttereth  speech 

And  night  unto  night  sheweth  knowledge. 

There  is  no  speech  nor  language 

Their  voice  is  not  heard. 

Their  line  is  gone  out  through  all  the  earth 

And  their  words  to  the  end  of  the  world." 

The  power  that  whirls  the  worlds  through  space  is 
noiseless,  but  it  is  none  the  less  resistless.  We 
speak,  to  be  sure,  of  the  music  of  the  spheres,  but 
it  is  a  symphony  of  silence.  "Worketh  patience." 
This  wonderful  product  is  not  produced  in  a 
moment.  If  patience  is  so  great  a  power  and  so 
excellent  a  virtue,  it  is  worth  the  winning.  It  is 
not  to  be  acquired  by  spasmodic  fits  of  endeavor; 
but  little  by  little,  as  day  by  day  we  faithfully  do 
life's  duties. 

"  Heaven  is  not  reached  by  a  single  bound, 
But  we  build  the  ladder  by  which  we  rise 
From  the  lowly  earth  to  the  vaulted  skies, 
And  we  mount  to  its  summit  round  by  round." 

3.  Again,  the  nature  of  man's  conduct  under 
trial,  and  the  effect  of  trial  upon  him,  depend 
upon  his  faith  in  the  end  of  his  trials,  or  in  their 
ultimate  purpose.  "Knowing  this,  that  the  try- 
ing of  your  faith  worketh  patience;  but  let 
patience  have  her  perfect  work,  that  ye  may  be 
perfect  and  entire,  wanting  nothing."  Faith  in 
the  end  is  the  key  to  all  the  noblest  endurance  of 
history.  Read  the  thrilling  romance  of  discovery 
and  invention,  and  you  will  realize  that  that  which 


138  SORROWS    SANCTIFIED 

sustained  those  hardy  heroes  and  pioneers  in 
travel  and  thought,  in  the  midst  of  indescribable 
trials,  was  faith  in  the  end.  Four  hundred  years 
ago,  a  bold  Genoese  sailor,  a  man  of  great  faith, 
set  out  with  a  few  companions  on  a  long  journey 
upon  an  unknown  sea.  After  days  and  weeks  of 
varied  experience,  the  waves  rough  beneath 
them,  the  clouds  black  above  them,  with  nought 
in  their  horizon  but  heaven  and  ocean,  his  com- 
panions become  discouraged  and  disheartened. 
Faces  become  black  with  anger  and  fear. 
Murmurings,  silent  at  first,  become  more  open 
and  pronounced.  Dark  despair  broods  over  the 
ship ;  and  at  last  mutiny,  that  terror  of  the  sea, 
surges  in  every  breast.  In  the  midst  of  this  scene 
of  distress  stands  a  man,  firm  and  erect,  with 
cheerful  countenance  and  hopeful  mien.  No 
clouds  of  despondency  play  over  his  features ;  but, 
with  keen  eyes  and  an  air  of  expectancy,  he 
eagerly  surveys  the  horizon  before  him.  How  is 
it  that  he  seems  not  to  heed  the  trials  about  him? 
What  is  it  that  enables  him  to  endure  so  bravely 
the  experience  through  which  he  is  passing?  He 
sees  before  him  India.  His  eye  of  faith  pierces 
the  unknown  expanse,  and  the  end  of  his  trials  he 
sees  to  be  a  new  passage  round  the  world.  Fifty 
years  after,  go  with  me  to  France  and  see  a  man 
who  has  been  working  patiently  for  sixteen  years, 
amid  great  hardships,  toward  the  realization  of  an 
idea.      His   resources    are  now   well-nigh   spent. 


SORROWS    SANCTIFIED  139 

His  furnace  fires  have  devoured  his  substance, 
and  in  his  extremity  he  begins  to  split  up  his 
furniture  for  fuel.  His  neighbors  mock  him.  His 
wife  derides  him.  His  starving  children  plead 
with  him.  Death  stares  all  in  the  face.  Yet  we 
see  that  this  man,  firm  as  a  rock,  strong  in  his 
determination,  and  buoyant  in  his  expectancy,  is 
moved  by  none  of  these  things.  Why?  Because 
Bernard  Palissy  knew  that  if  he  could  keep  his 
furnace  fires  hot  enough,  he  could  produce  the 
beautiful  white  enamel  which  he  was  seeking. 
Faith  in  the  end  made  endurance  possible.  All 
down  through  history,  from  the  beginning  of 
time,  the  character  of  man's  endurance  of  trouble 
has  depended  upon  his  faith  in  the  end.  Abra- 
ham journeyed  from  Ur  of  Chaldeeinto  unknown 
parts,  sustained  by  his  faith  in  the  Promised 
Land.  Job  rose  above  the  afflictions  which  fell 
upon  him,  and  triumphed  over  his  friends  by  his 
sublime  faith  in  the  outcome  of  his  trials,  when 
he  exultantly  declared,  "I  know  that  my 
Redeemer  liveth."  Stephen,  when  the  stones 
came  crashing  in  upon  him,  by  faith  saw  Jesus 
and  the  home  of  the  saints.  Paul  and  Silas  sang 
songs  in  the  jail  at  Philippi.  A  host  of  martyrs 
welcomed  the  stake,  bathed  their  hands  in  the 
flames,  and  joyfully  endured  the  severest  trials 
because  of  their  faith  in  the  end.  Reformers 
and  missionaries  have  furnished  many  examples  of 
this  principle.     And  who  can  doubt  that  one  great 


I40  SORROWS    SANCTIFIED 

sustaining  power  in  the  life  of  suffering  of  Jesus 
himself  was  a  clear  view  of  the  final  purpose  of 
his  work,  the  salvation  of  the  world?  Our  text 
suggests  to  us  the  final  end  of  all  our  trials, 
in  view  of  which  we  are  cheerfully  and  patiently 
to  endure  the  troubles  through  which  we  may  be 
called  to  pass.  It  is  perfection  of  character. 
"But  let  patience  have  her  perfect  work,  that  ye 
maybe  perfect  and  entire,  lacking  in  nothing." 
Trial  in  the  furnace  of  sorrow,  when  borne  in  the 
right  spirit,  will  do  for  human  character  what  the 
fire  does  for  precious  metals;  it  will  burn  away 
the  dross,  and  bring  out  into  clearer  light  that 
which  is  of  real  worth.  How  often  have  we  seen 
the  kinks  of  character  removed  by  affliction! 
How  often  we  have  noticed  that  a  broadness  of 
living,  a  sympathy  of  thought  and  feeling,  and  a 
tenderness  and  gentleness  of  love  and  behavior 
have  been  wrought  into  a  man's  disposition  by 
the  hammer  of  discipline !  Why  was  it  necessary 
for  the  chosen  people  to  pass  through  that  severe 
bondage  in  Egypt?  Why  those  forty  years  of 
trial  in  the  wilderness?  Why  that  checkered  his- 
tory of  more  than  a  thousand  years?  Why  that 
Babylonish  captivity?  This  was  God's  way  of 
building  a  nation.  This  is  the  divine  method  of 
bringing  about  perfection,  both  in  nations  and  in 
individuals.  Why  is  it  that  God  so  often  causes 
us  to  pass  through  these  dark  valleys?  Why  is  it 
that  sickness  strikes  us  down  and  interrupts  our 


SORROWS    SANCTIFIED  141 

work ;  that  disappointments  cross  our  path ;  that 
many  of  our  cherished  plans  are  frustrated? 
Why?  We  believe  that  it  is  because  God  is 
training  us.  Life  is  a  training  school,  and  trials 
are  our  best  teachers.  The  end  of  all  is  our  hig-h- 
est  welfare,  our  perfection  of  character.  We 
shall  acquire  this  in  proportion  as  we  allow 
patience  to  have  her  perfect  work. 

"Let  us,"  then,  "be  patient.     These  severe  afflictions 
Not  from  the  ground  arise ; 
But  oftentimes  celestial  benedictions 
Assume  this  dark  disguise." 

Further,  let  us  recall  that  we  have  observed  that 
patient  endurance  depends  upon  faith  in  the 
source  and  immediate  purpose  of  afflictions,  and 
faith  in  the  end.  It  is  pre-eminently  a  work  of 
faith.     Our  sight  is  very  limited. 

"We  see  but  dimly  through  the  mists  and  vapors; 
Amid  these  earthly  damps. 
What  seem  to  us  but  sad,  funereal  tapers 
May  be  heaven's  distant  lamps." 

We  cannot  see  even  a  day  before  us,  and  life 
appears  to  our  thoughts  as  made  up  of  so  many 
hours  and  minutes.  We  see  nothing  as  a  unit,  or 
as  a  finality.  We  see  only  parts  of  things.  Life 
to  us  is  a  mass  of  incompletions.  Life  is  like 
climbing  a  series  of  ever-rising  hills  which  lead  up 
to  a  lofty  mountain.  We  climb  up  the  first  hill, 
and  when  we  have  reached  the  top,  we  can  see 


142  SORROWS    SANCTIFIED 

nothing  before  us  but  a  dark  valley  and  perhaps 
a  dimly  rising  hillside.  We  can  see  no  more. 
All  is  veiled  in  fog  and  mist.  We  pass  down 
through  this  valley,  over  a  mountain  stream,  up 
the  hillside,  and  attain  the  second  height.  Here, 
again,  before  us,  we  can  see  but  a  short  distance, 
and  that  a  valley  and  a  crooked  path ;  but,  as  we 
look  back  from  this  vantage  point,  we  can  see  the 
way  in  which  we  have  come,  and  begin  to  under- 
stand why  it  was  that  we  must  cross  that  valley 
and  follow  that  winding  road.  On  and  on  we  go, 
through  valley  to  hill-top;  and,  as  we  trudge 
along,  the  way  behind  us,  over  which  we  have 
come,  begins  to  take  definite  form,  and  we  begin 
to  see  that  there  has  been  a  constant  ascent ;  while 
before  us  the  mist  is  lifting,  and  the  mountain 
peak  toward  which  we  are  striving  becomes  more 
plain.  On  and  on  we  go,  now  ascending,  now 
winding  down  a  crooked  path ;  again  we  begin  to 
rise,  and  at  last  we  reach  the  summit  of  the 
mountain  peak.  The  glow  of  the  noontide  sun 
has  now  burst  upon  us.  The  mists  are  gone ;  and 
we  wonderingly  admire  the  beauty  of  the  scene. 
As  we  gaze  here  and  there,  onr  thoughts  are 
drawn  to  the  place  of  our  ascent.  We  trace  with 
eager  curiosity  the  windings  of  the  path  by 
which  we  have  come  to  this  magnificent  height. 
And  now,  innv,  we  understand  the  meaning  of 
every  step.  AVe  sec  tliat  each  winding  of  the 
road  was  necessarv.     Sucli  is  life.     We  can  see 


SORROWS    SANCTIFIED  143 

but  a  short  distance  before  us.  We  pass  into 
dark  places  and  afflictions  rise  up  before  us  and 
shut  out  the  light  of  the  world  from  us.  A 
cent,  when  held  close  to  the  eye,  appears  larger 
than  the  universe.  How  much  depends  upon 
getting  the  proper  point  of  view!  Some  years 
ago,  while  in  a  fine-art  gallery  in  Europe,  I  stood 
one  day  before  a  famous  picture.  I  gazed  and 
gazed,  and  yet  I  could  see  no  beauty  there. 
Everything  seemed  to  be  jumbled.  There  was  no 
order,  no  perspective,  simply  blotches  of  color. 
All  at  once  the  thought  flashed  across  my  mind, 
*' Perhaps  the  fault  is  with  me,  and  not  with  the 
picture."  I  stepped  aside  a  few  paces.  No;  it 
was  of  no  use.  I  could  find  no  beauty  in  those 
splashes  of  color.  I  was  just  about  to  leave  the 
gallery,  disgusted  with  myself  and  with  the  pic- 
ture ;  when,  as  I  reached  the  door,  I  turned  about 
to  take  a  final  look.  And  now,  behold!  all  seemed 
changed.  Order  had  come  out  of  disorder.  Every 
object  seemed  to  stand  out  in  wonderful  perspec- 
tive, and  before  me  was  a  scene  of  exquisite 
beauty.  The  picture  was  the  same,  but  I  had 
gotten  the  artist's  point  of  view.  Again,  we  have 
an  illustration  of  life.  When  we  get  the  divine 
perspective,  we  see  things  in  their  true  relations. 
We  often  have  the  experience  of  seeing,  in  later 
years,  that  what  we  regarded  at  the  time  as  a  very 
bitter  disappointment,  a  very  hard  providence, 
was,    in    fact,    the  greatest    blessing    which  God 


144  SORROWS    SANCTIFIED 

could  at  the  time  have  bestowed  upon  us.  Then 
we  realize  that  every  cloud  had  a  silver  lining-, 
and  that  our  sorrows  were  but  blessings  in  dis- 
guise. Dear  friends,  life,  with  its  so-called  acci- 
dents and  exigencies,  when  viewed  from  any 
standpoint  but  the  right  one,  seems  a  meaning- 
less jumble,  an  insolvable  problem,  a  purposeless 
series  of  disconnected  events.  But  when  we  get 
the  divine  point  of  view,  when  our  faith  pierces 
the  inists,  and  sees  the  mountain  peak  as  our 
goal,  when  every  event  in  life  is  seen  to  be  a 
part,  and  a  necessary  part  too,  of  a  great  plan, 
when  perfection  of  character  is  known  to  be  the 
end  of  our  trials;  then  these  afflictions  will 
appear  as  sorrows  of  a  moment,  and  our  patient 
endurance  will  work  in  us  the  perfection  which 
God  desires.  Then,  at  all  times,  we  may  sing 
with  the  sainted  P.  P.  Bliss: 

"  So  on  I  go,  not  knowing, 

I  would  not  if  I  might ; 
I'd  rather  walk  in  the  dark  with  God 

Than  go  alone  in  the  light. 
I'd  rather  walk  by  faith  with  Him 

Than  go  alone  by  sight. 
Where  He  may  lead  I'll  follow, 

My  trust  in  Him  repose, 
And  every  hour  in  perfect  peace 

I'll  sing  'He  knows,  He  knows,* 

I'll  sing  'He  knows,  He  knows!'  " 


Change  Your  Mind! 

Isaiah  S5-7- — ''Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way,  and  the 

unrighteotcs  man  his  thoughts:   and  let  him  return 

unto  the  Lord,  and  he  will  have  mercy  upon   him; 

and  to  our  God,  for  he  will  abundantly  pardon.'' 
Ezekiel  jj:ii. — ''Say  U7ito  them,  as  I  live,  saith  the  Lord 

God,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked; 

but  that  the  wicked  turn  from  his  way  and  live:  turn 

ye,  turn  ye  from  your  evil  ways;  for  why  will  ye  die, 

O  house  of  Israel?  " 
Matt.  4:17. — ''From  that  time  began  fesus   to  preach, 

and  to  say,  'Repent  ye,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is 

at  hand. '  ' ' 
Acts  17: JO. — "The  times  of  ignorance,  therefore,   God 

overlooked;   but  now  he  co?nmandeth  7nen  that  they 

should  all  every iv here  repent.'' 

THE  portions  of  Scripture  just  read  are  only 
a  few  of  the  many  passages,  in  both  the 
Old  and  the  New  Testaments,  which  insist 
upon  the  duty  and  doctrine  of  repentance.  Re- 
pentance was  a  familiar  message  in  biblical  times ; 
its  meaning  ought  to  be  specially  clear  to-day. 
Should  I  ask,  however,  an  average  audience  for  a 
definition  of  Scriptural  repentance,  we  should  be 
surprised  at  the  variety  of  the  answers  given. 
Many  have  an  inadequate  idea  of  its  scope ;  many 

145 


146  CHANGE   YOUR   MIND! 

confound  other  things  with  it.  Let  us  ask  our- 
selves what  it  is,  and  what  it  is  not.  The  word  in 
the  original  which  is  translated  "Repent,"  means 
literally,  "To  think  differently  after,  an  after- 
thinking,  a  change  of  mind  resulting  in  a  change  of 
conduct. "  Dr.  John  A.  Broadus,  the  great  Ameri- 
can New  Testament  Greek  scholar,  defined  repent- 
ance as  "a  change  of  mind,  thought  and  purpose 
as  regards  sin,  and  the  service  of  God ;  a  change 
naturally  accompanied  by  deep  sorrow  for  past 
sin,  and  naturally  leading  to  a  change  of  outward 
life."  In  the  Old  Testament  the  corresponding 
injunction  is,  "Turn  ye,  turn  ye,  or  return."  In 
the  Latin  version  we  have  the  translation  "exer- 
cise penitence,"  which  with  ritualists  soon  came 
to  mean  "do  penance. "  But  thought  is  the  source 
of  deep  and  true  feeling,  and  thought  and  feeling 
lead  to  action.  The  change  of  mind,  thought,  or 
purpose  is,  therefore,  the  primary  idea;  while 
feeling,  or  grief  for  sin,  is  secondary:  not  grief 
for  sin  first  and  change  of  mind  second, 
as  some  would  have  us  suppose.  And  so,  when 
Old  Testament  prophet  and  New  Testament 
preacher  united  in  echoing  the  divine  injunction, 
"Repent  ye!  Repent  ye!"  they  were  saying  in 
nineteenth  century  English,  "Change  your  mind! 
Change  your  mind!"  Isaiah  said  it.  Ezekiel 
said  it.  John  the  Baptist  said  it.  Christ  said  it. 
The  twelve  said  it.  Peter  said  it.  Paul  said  it. 
"Change  your  mind!     Change  your  mind!     For 


CHANGE   YOUR   MIND!  147 

the  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand."  And  to-day,  as 
a  humble  follower  of  a  long  line  of  faithful  preach- 
ers of  the  cross,  each  ministering  to  his  own  gen- 
eration, each  proclaiming,  as  God's  messenger, 
the  blessed  gospel  of  salvation,  I  too,  in  God's 
name,  call  upon  you  to  "change  your  mind." 

Change  your  mind  about  God.  Some  people 
think  of  God  as  a  great,  burly,  arbitrary,  despotic 
Being;  a  terrible  Judge  before  whom  we  must 
appear;  a  hard  Task-master  trying  to  drive  on  to 
slavish  toil  a  helpless  and  hopeless  race;  an  awful 
Ogre ;  a  Monster,  lawless  and  loveless.  But  this 
is  not  the  God  of  the  Bible,  nor  the  God  of  the 
universe.  God  is  not  a  monster,  but  a  benevolent 
Creator,  and  a  loving  Heavenly  Father.  He 
made  man,  his  masterpiece,  in  His  own  image  and 
likeness;  and  to  rule.  He  created  a  beautiful 
world  of  harmony  and  peace  for  man's  home ;  and 
when  man,  by  his  own  voluntary  sin,  defiled  his 
heart  and  home,  and  destroyed  the  bliss  of  earth, 
God  did  not  leave  him  alone  in  his  misery  and 
woe,  but  came  to  teach  him  the  blight  of  sin,  and 
to  point  him  forward  in  hope  to  the  time  of  vic- 
tory over  evil  through  the  woman's  seed.  In  the 
fulness  of  time  God's  own  Son,  born  of  a  woman, 
came  into  the  world  as  a  man,  to  win  a  victory  for 
man;  and  to  bring  man  back  to  fellowship  with 
God,  and  into  the  relationship  of  sonship  with  a 
Heavenly  Father.  You  must  change  your  mind 
about  God.     God  loves  you.     God  desires  you  to 


148  CHANGE   YOUR   MIND! 

be  His  son,  to  see  in  Him  your  Father.  Yes!  He 
loves  YOU,  every  one  of  you,  the  very  vilest  and 
weakest,  the  most  ungrateful  and  selfish  of  you. 
He  has  always  loved  you.  He  desires  to  save 
every  one  of  you.  "For  God  so  loved  the  world 
that  he  gave  his  only-begotten  Son,  that  whoso- 
ever believeth  on  him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
eternal  life."  His  supreme  desire  for  you  is  that 
you  may  choose  his  Son  as  your  Savior,  Friend 
and  Brother;  and  through  Him  learn  how  to  be 
a  child  of  God.  For,  "as  many  as  received  Him, 
to  them  gave  He  the  right  to  become  children  of 
God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  His  name." 
Change  your  mind  about  God  now!  He  is  your 
Friend.  He  desires  your  very  highest  welfare. 
He  wants  many  sons,  and  wants  to  bring  those 
sons  to  glory.  He  wants  you  to  be  his  child.  He 
yearns  to  teach  you  through  the  Spirit  to  cry 
"Abba,  Father." 

Then,  too,  you  must  change  your  mind  not  only 
about  God,  but  also  about  man,  about  yourself. 
You  are  not  a  mere  body ;  not  all  physical ;  not 
"a  mass  of  matter  formed  by  the  chance  accu- 
mulation of  unreasoning  atoms";  not  simply  an 
animal.  You  are  something  more  than  the  brutes. 
You  are  a  person.  You  have  mental  possibilities. 
You  have  a  spiritual  capacity.  Like  the  temple 
of  old,  you  have  the  outer  court,  the  body;  the 
inner  court,  the  mind ;  and  the  holy  of  holies,  the 
spirit.     And  in  some  of  you  this  spiritual  part  of 


CHANGE   YOUR   MIND!  149 

your  nature,  like  the  deserted  Temple  in  the  time 
of  Pompey,  is  dark  and  tenantless.  Oh,  that  you 
would  open  the  door  now  and  let  the  Savior  in ! 
Man  is,  above  all  things,  a  spiritual  being,  with  a 
capacity  for  God;  and  it  is  impossible  for  him 
ever  to  find  permanent  peace  or  rest  away  from 
God.  No  spiritual  being  can  ever  be  fully  satis- 
fied with  material  things;  nor  find  his  highest  or 
fullest  development  in  the  realm  of  the  visible. 
Come!  Change  your  mind  about  yourself!  You 
have  divine  possibilities.  Your  spiritual  capacity 
is  the  best  and  most  enduring  thing  about  you. 
Let  God  into  your  soul  and  you  will,  indeed,  begin 
to  live. 

You  must  change  your  mind  also  about  sin.  In 
the  olden  time,  the  Tempter  led  our  first  parents 
to  believe  that  sin  was  a  good  thing,  was  an  advan- 
tage. "And  when  the  woman  saw  that  the  tree 
was  good  for  food,  and  that  it  was  a  delight  to  the 
eyes,  and  that  the  tree  was  to  be  desired  to  make 
one  wise,  she  took  of  the  fruit  thereof,  and  did 
eat ;  and  she  gave  also  unto  her  husband  with  her, 
and  he  did  eat."  And  it  has  been  thus  ever  since. 
People  only  sin  at  first  under  the  false  impression 
that  they  are  going  to  gain  something  by  it. 
Later  on  people  sin  from  force  of  habit  and 
strength  of  appetite.  But  at  first  we  are  led  to 
suppose  that  this  or  that  sin,  this  or  that  indul- 
gence, will  be  the  road  to  advantage.  But  the 
call  of  God,  the  message  of  Scripture,  the  verdict 


I50  CHANGE   YOUR   MIND! 

of  history,  observation  and  experience,  the  voice 
of  wisdom,  all  cry  out  in  stentorian  tones, 
" Change  your  mind !  Change  your  mind!"  Sin 
is  never  a  real  gain.  There  is  no  permanent 
advantage  in  wrong-doing.  Sin  is  always,  as  the 
Hebrew  word  describes  it,  a  missing  of  the  mark, 
a  loss,  a  mistake.  Be  wise  in  time  and  forsake 
sin! 

Again,  you  must  change  your  mind  about  right- 
eousness. You  have  thought  that  the  path  of 
self-indulgence  and  sin  was  the  path  of  joy  and 
peace ;  and  that  the  path  of  right-doing  was  nar- 
row and  disappointing.  You  must  change  your 
mind!  Righteousness  does  not  mean  com- 
pression, but  expression ;  not  slavery  but  highest 
liberty ;  not  a  burden  but  a  boon ;  not  a  fast,  nor 
a  funeral,  but  a  feast  of  good  things.  Satan  is 
inducing  you  to  live  on  sawdust,  to  feed  on  the 
pods  that  the  swine  eat.  But  God  says,  "Hearken 
diligently  unto  me,  and  eat  ye  that  which  is  good, 
and  let  your  soul  delight  itself  in  fatness."  Sin 
always  cramps  and  warps,  dwarfs  and  destroys; 
but  righteousness  enlarges  and  develops,  builds 
up,  makes  for  manhood  and  womanhood.  To  be 
a  Christian  means  to  "have  life  and  to  have  it 
more  abundantly."  Listen!  There  is  not  in 
Christianity  a  single  duty  or  doctrine,  that  will 
dim  or  destroy  one  single  honest  delight  of  the 
human  heart.  Not  one !  It  aims  a  deadly  blow 
only  at  sin  and  selfishness.     It  aims  to  destroy 


CHANGE   YOUR   MIND!  151 

that  which  is  already  destroying  you.  Change 
your  mind  about  righteousness ! 

Once  more ;  you  must  change  your  mind  about 
Christ,  the  supreme  figure  of  human  history.  You 
must  change  your  mind  about  Christ.  He  is  not 
a  mere  historical  personage:  one  who  lived  and 
died  nineteen  hundred  years  ago,  a  martyr  to  an 
unfortunate  series  of  circumstances.  He  is  not 
merely  the  ideal  man,  the  best  man  that  ever 
lived.  He  is  God  as  well  as  man,  the  God-man 
Christ  Jesus,  who,  in  order  to  provide  a  salvation 
for  every  member  of  the  human  race,  lived  and 
died  and  rose  again,  and  lives  to-day  at  God's 
right  hand,  where  He  shall  sit  till  His  enemies  be 
made  the  footstool  of  His  feet.  He  tasted  death 
for  every  man;  He  was  made  perfectly  fitted 
through  suffering  to  be  the  captain  of  our  salva- 
tion, yours  and  mine ;  He  is  not  one  who  cannot 
be  touched  with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities,  but 
is  able  to  sympathize  with  and  help  us;  having 
made  a  propitiation  for  our  sins.  He  is  ever  living 
to  make  intercession  for  us,  and  so  is  able  to  save 
to  the  uttermost  all  those  who  come  to  God 
through  Him.  Change  your  mind  about  Christ, 
and  accept  Him  now  as  your  Savior! 

This  is  fundamentally  the  call  to  repentance. 
Change  your  mind  about  God,  and  see  in  Him  a 
Friend  and  Father!  Change  your  mind  about 
yourself,  and  recognize  your  spiritual  nature  and 
possibilities!  Change  your  mind  about  sin,  and  see 


152  CHANGE   YOUR   MIND! 

in  it  that  which  only  warps  and  destroys!  Change 
your  mind  about  righteousness,  and  see  in  it  ful- 
ness of  life !  Change  your  mind  about  Christ,  and 
see  in  Him  your  Savior!  To  bring  you  to  this 
change  of  mind  God  has  been  using,  is  using,  and 
will  continue  to  use — every  possible  resource 
within  his  power,  without  interfering  with  your 
freedom  of  choice.  He  wishes  that  none  should 
perish  but  that  all  should  come  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  truth.  Christ's  life  and  death  and  resur- 
rection prove  God's  love  for  you  in  the  past;  the 
pleading  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  presentation  of 
truth  to  your  soul,  the  presence  of  opportunities 
for  you  to  accept  Christ  and  be  saved  now,  are 
evidence  abundant  of  God's  present  love  for  and 
interest  in  YOU.  Change  your  mind  and  turn  to 
Him ! 

Repentance,  then,  is  a  change  of  mind,  leading 
to  a  change  of  conduct.  It  is  man's  act,  by  virtue 
of  which  he  puts  himself  in  a  position  to  accept 
salvation  from  God  through  Christ.  It  is  an  abso- 
lutely necessary  prerequisite  to  salvation;  not  a 
means,  or  in  an}^  way  meritorious,  but  a  necessary 
condition  of  forgiveness. 

If  this  change  of  mind  is  thorough  and  genuine, 
it  will  be  accompanied  with  a  change  of  feeling 
and  lead  to  and  result  in  a  change  of  conduct. 
For  true  repentance  involves  and  includes  five 
things:  (i)  Conviction  of  sin ;  (2)  Contrition  for 
sin;  (3)  Confession  of  sin;  (4)  Turning  from  sin; 


CHANGE   YOUR   MIND!  153 

(5)  Surrender  to  Christ.  How  much  conviction 
must  there  be?  Dr.  Strong  definitely  answers, 
"Enough  to  induce  the  sinner  promptly  and  per- 
sistently to  turn  from  sin  to  Christ. ' '  Less  than 
this  is  not  enough.  More  than  this  is  not  neces- 
sary. There  must  be  also  sorrow  for  sin,  and 
confession  of  sin;  or  there  will  be  no  turning 
away  from  sin,  and  turning  to  and  accepting  of 
Christ.  Nor  will  confession  of  sin  avail,  unless 
there  is  a  turning  away  from  sin.  Pharaoh  said, 
"I  have  sinned,"  but  went  on  doing  the  same 
thing  the  next  day.  Nor  will  turning  away  from 
sin  avail,  unless  there  is  some  one  who  can  save 
from  sin.  There  must  be  a  surrender  to  Christ. 
Thus  each  step  involves  the  others;  and  if 
repentance  is  genuine,  all  will  be  included.  True 
repentance  never  exists  without  faith,  and  true 
faith  always  is  accompanied  by  repentance. 

Repentance,  then,  is  not  to  be  confounded 
with  fear.  In  a  storm  on  the  sea  certain  godless 
men  stopped  their  swearing,  gambling  and  drink- 
ing, fell  upon  their  knees  and  began  to  pray.  You 
think  it  an  example  of  repentance?  Let  us  wait 
and  we  can  determine.  When  the  terrible  storm 
was  over,  and  a  little  time  had  passed,  the  game 
was  soon  restarted ;  oaths,  at  first  moderate  and 
less  violent,  soon  became  blasphemous;  and 
carousing  continued.  You  say,  repentance?  No! 
Not  repentance,  but  fear. 

Nor  is  repentance  to  be  confounded  with  feel 


154  CHANGE   YOUR   MIND! 

ing-.  It  is  easy  to  make  people  cry,  but  not  so 
easy  to  lead  them  to  repentance.  Nor  is  repent- 
ance to  be  identified  with  remorse.  Judas  had 
remorse,  and  went  out  and  hanged  himself. 

"Repentance  and  remorse  are  not  the  same; 
That  is  a  heavenly,  this  an  earthly  flame: 
One  springs  from  love,  and  is  a  welcome  guest ; 
And  one  an  iron  tyrant  o'er  the  breast. 
Repentance  v^reeps  before  the  crucified ; 
Remorse  is  nothing  more  than  wounded  pride; 
Remorse  thro'  horror  into  hell  is  driven, 
While  true  repentance  always  leads  to  heaven." 

Nor  is  repentance  to  be  confounded  with  "say- 
ing one's  prayers" ;  or  "doing  penance" ;  or  "mak- 
ing new  resolutions"  ;  or  "breaking  off  some  bad 
habit";  or  "going  to  prayer  meeting";  or  "giv- 
ing to  charity."  Repentance  is  a  radical  change 
of  mind,  thought,  and  purpose  with  reference  to 
the  great  fundamentals;  God,  man,  sin,  right- 
eousness and  Christ:  a  change  of  mind  accom- 
panied by  a  change  of  feeling,  and  leading  to  a 
change  of  conduct  and  character;  involving  con- 
viction, contrition  and  confession  of  sin ;  a  turning 
away  from  sin,  and  acceptance  of  Christ.  Thus 
it  is  intellectual,  emotional  and  volitional;  and 
involves  a  man's  whole  self. 

"Repentance  is  to  leave 

The  sins  we  loved  before ; 
And  show  that  we  in  earnest  grieve, 
By  doing  so  no  more." 


CHANGE   YOUR   MIND!  155 

In  Dr.  Stalker's  "Trial  and  Crucifixion  of  Jesus 
Christ"  there  is  a  beautiful  description  given  of 
"The  Three  Groups  around  the  Cross."  One 
group,  sitting  upon  the  ground  near  the  foot  of 
the  cross,  is  made  up  of  four  Roman  soldiers,  the 
quaternion  whose  business  it  was  to  carry  out  the 
decrees  of  the  court.  They  have  done  their  work 
well.  Having  led  Christ  away  to  Golgotha,  hav- 
ing laid  and  fastened  the  cross-piece  upon  the 
upright,  they  nail  the  Savior  to  the  cross.  Then 
they  lift  up  the  cross  and  its  burden ;  and  drop  it 
into  the  hole  which  has  been  dug  for  it,  making  the 
cross  fast  with  stakes  and  ropes.  That  work  done, 
the  soldiers  sit  down  to  divide  the  spoils;  for  they 
are  his  legal  heirs,  it  being  the  custom  that  the  gar- 
ments of  the  condemned  shall  be  the  perquisites 
of  the  executioners.  How  little  he  had  of  material 
things!  A  turban,  an  outer  garment,  a  girdle 
and  a  pair  of  sandals!  Four  articles  for  four 
soldiers.  But  there  is  a  fifth  article — the  closely 
fitting,  finely  woven  tunic.  What  shall  they  do 
with  that?  To  rend  it  into  four  pieces  would  be  to 
destroy  its  value.  And  so,  in  Roman  fashion,  they 
sit  and  cast  lots  to  determine  whose  it  shall  be. 
What  a  picture  of  absolute  indifference  to  the 
significant  events  of  the  hour !  Yonder,  within  a 
few  feet  of  them,  is  dying  the  Savior  of  the 
world;  "a  God  upon  a  cross" ;  one  who  is  tasting 
death  even  for  the  soldiers  who  crucify  him ;  the 
supreme  figure  of  all  history.     What  a  picture  of 


156  CHANGE   YOUR   MIND! 

those  careless  ones,  who  while  away  life's  golden 
opportunities,  playing  at  games  of  chance,  and 
making  light  of  the  grandest  themes  of  human 
or  divine  thought !  What  a  picture  of  all  those 
who  are  indifferent  to  Christ  and  righteousness! 
But  a  time  will  come  when  conscience  will  awake 
and  memory  will  not  be  quieted.  Then  how 
mournful  will  be  their  souls'  sad  wail. 

"I  thought  of  myself,  I  lived  for  myself, 
For  myself  and  none  beside ; 
Just  as  if  Jesus  had  never  lived, 
As  though  He  had  never  died." 

Here  is  apathy  indeed. 

A  second  group  about  the  cross,  a  much  larger 
one,  is  composed  of  the  members  of  the  San- 
hedrin ;  who,  contrary  to  custom,  are  not  content  to 
have  condemned  the  Nazarene,  but  have  followed 
to  the  place  of  execution  to  gloat  over  the  sufferings 
of  the  crucified.  Along  with  the  priests  and  scribes 
is  a  mixed  crowd  of  people  from  Jerusalem,  who 
are  being  stirred  up  by  the  leaders  to  hurl  revil- 
ings  at  Christ.  "Thou  that  destroyest  the  temple, 
and  buildest  it  in  three  days,  save  thyself:  if  thou 
art  the  Son  of  God,  come  down  from  the  Cross." 
*'He  saved  others;  himself  he  cannot  save.  He 
is  the  King  of  Israel;  let  him  now  come  down 
from  the  cross,  and  we  will  believe  on  him." 
*'He  trusted  on  God;  let  him  deliver  him  now,  if 
he   desireth  him;  for  he  said,  I  am  the  Son  of 


CHANGE   YOUR   MIND!  157 

God."  Thus  did  they  there  mock  at  Him,  and 
scorn  Him.  What  a  picture  that,  of  all  those  who 
are  hostile  to  truth  and  Christ :  whose  desire  is 
to  tear  down  and  destroy :  who  throw  the  weight 
of  life  and  influence  on  the  side  of  evil !  Here  is 
"not  apathy  but  antipathy." 

There  was,  however,  another  group  about  that 
cross  that  day.  Like  the  first  group,  it  was  a 
small  one;  made  up  of  some  women,  the  three 
Marys;  and  John,  the  beloved  disciple.  Oh,  how 
they  love  yonder  man  on  the  cross!  The  nails 
that  pierce  his  hands  have  already  pierced  their 
hearts.  They  walked  with  him,  talked  with  him, 
ministered  to  him;  and  now  they  are  suffering 
with  him,  dying  with  him.  Oh,  how  they  love 
him !  And  yonder  Christ  on  the  cross,  exhausted 
with  hours  of  continuous  agony,  pained  at  the 
indifference  of  soldiers  and  the  hate  of  scorners, 
must  often  have  lifted  his  bloodshot  eyes  away 
from  the  indifferent  and  hostile,  and  lovingly 
looked  upon  these  dear  ones.  How  their  pres- 
ence must  have  soothed  and  rested  his  weary 
soul!  How  their  love  must  have  sustained  his 
human  spirit!  Ah!  here  was  "neither  apathy, 
nor  antipathy.     Here  was  sympathy." 

In  one  of  these  groups  you  will  find  yourself 
to-day.  Jesus  Christ  divides  the  world.  He  is 
the  touchstone  of  human  character.  What  is  your 
relationship  to  Him?  Is  it  one  of  indifference, 
one  of  hostility,  or  one  of  loyal  love?     If  you  are 


158  CHANGE   YOUR   MIND! 

honest  with  yourself,  and  with  Him,  you  can  and 
will  realize  your  true  condition. 

It  would  be  cruel  to  paint  such  a  picture  as  this, 
were  these  groups  already  permanently  fixed  and 
unchangeable.  But,  blessed  be  God!  they  are  in 
the  forming.  No  great  gulf  is  yet  between.  If 
you  are  not  where  you  ought  to  be,  and  where 
you  wish  to  remain,  you  can  change  your  posi- 
tion. On  that  great  day  of  crucifixion  there  was 
one  man  who  did  so.  Since  that  day  thousands 
have  done  so.  The  gospel  of  Matthew  tells  us, 
"And  the  robbers  also  that  were  crucified  with 
him  cast  upon  him  the  same  reproach."  That 
is,  they  both  belonged  to  the  second  group,  the 
group  of  scorners.  But  one  of  those  thieves 
changed  his  position.  I  don't  know  whether  he 
was  in  the  judgment  hall  and  heard  Christ's 
answers  to  Pilate.  I  don't  know  whether  he  was 
on  the  porch,  and  saw  the  scourged  and  scorned 
Jesus ;  and  heard  Pilate,  as  he  thrust  the  bleeding 
Christ  before  the  throng,  cry  out,  ''Ecce  Homo!" 
"Behold  the  Man!"  I  don't  know  whether  he 
heard  Christ  speak  to  the  weeping  daughters  of 
Jerusalem.  But  I  feel  sure  that  as  the  soldiers 
drove  the  nails  through  the  palms  and  feet  of  the 
Savior,  this  thief  heard  Him  pray  for  them, 
"Father,  forgive  them;  they  know  not  what  they 
do."  This  thief  must  have  noticed  Jesus'  look 
toward  his  widowed,  desolate  mother,  and  heard 
Him  say,  forgetful  of  Himself  and  thoughtful  of 


CHANGE   YOUR   MIND!  159 

her  future,  "Behold  your  son!"  and  to  John, 
*' Behold  your  mother!"  What  else  he  heard  and 
saw,  I  know  not.  But  as  he  thought,  and  listened, 
and  looked  at  that  Figure  on  the  central  cross,  he 
' '  changed  his  mind' ' ;  his  feelings  became  different ; 
he  changed  his  conduct.  He  left  the  company  of 
the  scornful;  he  joined  the  company  of  the  sym- 
pathetic. He  repented.  And  then  he  cried, 
* 'Jesus,  remember  me  when  thou  comest  into 
thy  kingdom."  ''And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  'To- 
day shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise. ' ' ' 


Two  Kinds  of  Christians 

/  Corinthians  j:  1-4. — ''And  /,  brethreit,  could  not  speak 
unto  you  as  unto  spiritual,  but  as  unto  car?taly  as 
unto  babes  in  Christ.  I  fed  you  with  milk,  not  with 
meat;  for  ye  were  not  able  to  bear  it;  7iay,  not  even 
now  are  ye  able,  for  ye  are  yet  carnal;  for  whereas 
there  is  among  you  jealousy  aiid  strife,  are  ye  not 
carnal,  and  walk  after  the  ma7i7ier  of  me7i  ?  " 

Hebrews  ^ :  10-14. — ''NaDied  of  God  a  high  priest  after 
the  order  of  Melchizedek,  of  which  we  have  77ia7iy 
things  to  say,  a7id  hard  of  i7iterpretatio7i,  seeing  ye 
are  beco77ie  dull  of  heari7ig.  For  whe7i  by  reaso7i  of 
the  tii7te  ye  ought  to  be  teachers,  ye  have  7ieed  agai7t 
that  so77ie  07ie  teach  you  the  rudime7its  of  th^  first 
principles  of  the  oracles  of  God,  and  are  beco7ne  such 
as  have  need  of  7nilk,  a7id  7iot  of  solid  food.  For 
every  one  that  partaketh  of  77iilk  is  without  experi- 
ence of  the  word  of  righteous7iess;  for  he  is  a  babe. 
But  solid  food  is  for  full-grow7i  77ie7t;  even  those  who 
by  reaso7i  of  use  have  their  se7ises  exercised  to  discern 
good  a7td evil.''' 

BOTH  Scripture  and  observation  tell  us  that 
there  are  two  kinds  of  Christians.      One 
kind  are  carnal;   one  kind   are    spiritual; 
one  babes ;  one  full-grown :  one  children  in  Chris- 
tian life  and  experience;  one  adults:    one  ruled 
by  the  world ;  the  other  ruled  by  the  spirit. 
160 


TWO    KINDS   OF   CHRISTIANS       i6i 

There  were  not  in  New  Testament  days,  nor  in 
the  New  Testament  churches,  the  two  kinds  of 
Christians  in  which  some  would  have  us  believe ; 
those  who  were  "saints"  in  the  sense  of  "sin- 
lessly  perfect  ones,"  and  those  who  were  just 
ordinary,  everyday  Christians.  Such  a  distinction 
exists  neither  in  Scripture  nor  in  fact;  did  not 
exist  in  the  first  century  of  the  Christian  Church; 
does  not  exist  now.  By  the  uniform  usage  of  the 
New  Testament  all  Christians  are  called  "saints," 
"holy  brethren,"  "partakers  of  a  heavenly  call- 
ing." The  "saint,"  or  "sanctified"  person  of  the 
Old  Testament,  be  he  prophet,  priest  or  king,  was 
one  who  had  been  anointed  with  the  sacred,  flow- 
ing oil,  and  was  set  apart  for  sacred  service.  He 
was  not  a  perfect  person ;  he  was  not  a  sinless 
one.  Even  the  High  Priest,  the  most  sanctified 
of  all  sanctified  persons,  must  make  an  atone- 
ment first  for  his  own  sins,  before  he  is  fitted 
to  make  atonement  for  the  sins  of  the  people. 
The  sanctified  day  was  a  day  set  apart  for 
sacred  use,  and  the  sanctified  place  a  place 
set  apart  for  divine  service.  So  all  New  Testa- 
ment Christians  are  called  "set-apart  ones," 
"sanctified  ones";  are  "saved  to  serve,"  and 
called  apart  to  live  for  God.  "Ye  are  not  your 
own.  For  ye  were  bought  with  a  price:  glorify 
God,  therefore,  in  your  body."  "For  the  love  of 
Christ  constraineth  us;  because  we  thus  judge, 
that  one  died  for  all,  therefore  all  died;  and  he 


i62       TWO   KINDS   OF   CHRISTIANS 

died  for  all,  that  they  which  live  should  no  longer 
live  unto  themselves,  but  unto  him  who  for  their 
sakes  died  and  rose  again."  All  Christians  are 
declared  to  be  saints  in  Christ,  and  are  destined 
to  realized  sainthood  in  proportion  as  they  grow 
in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  His  will;  and 
strive  to  attain  to  the  fulness  of  the  stature  of 
manhood  and  womanhood  through  Christ.  All 
in  Christ  are  saints,  but  there  are  two  kinds  of 
saints.  There  were  two  kinds  in  the  apostolic 
churches;  there  are  two  kinds  in  the  churches 
now.  The  passages  of  Scripture  in  our  study 
to-day  clearly  distinguish  between  two  kinds  of 
Christians;  and  suggest  the  characteristics  of 
each.*  There  are  carnal  Christians,  babes  in 
Christ;  and  there  are  spiritual  Christians,  mature 
and  well-developed.  Nor  is  this  distinction  one 
of  age  in  the  Christian  life.  Some,  who  have  only 
been  Christians  for  a  short  time,  manifest  many 
evidences  of  maturity;  while  some,  who  by  reason 
of  time  ought  by  now  to  be  teachers,  are  still 
babes,  needing  milk  and  unable  to  digest  solid 
food.  Let  us  note  four  characteristics  of  the  car- 
nal Christian: 

I.  He  is  a  babe.  Now  if  one  is  only  a  few  weeks 
or  months  old  in  the  Christian  life,  we  ma}^  expect 
such  an  one  to  be  a  babe,  but  we  should  not 
expect  him  to  remain  always  a  babe.     A  babe  a 

*For  helpful  suggestions  here   I  am  indebted  to  F.  B. 
Meyer's  "Way  into  the  Holiest." 


TWO   KINDS   OF   CHRISTIANS       163 

few  weeks  or  months  old  is  a  delight  indeed,  but 
a  babe  fifteen  or  twenty  years  old  is  a  monstros- 
ity. If  so  in  the  physical  world,  why  should  it 
not  be  considered  so  in  the  spiritual  world?  Oh, 
you  say,  must  we  not  become  as  little  children 
before  we  can  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God? 
And  must  we  not  retain  the  childlike  spirit,  if  we 
are  to  make  any  true  progress  in  spiritual  life? 
Yes,  most  assuredly.  There  are  features  of  the 
child-life  that  are  always  desirable ;  its  faith,  its 
teachableness,  its  simplicity,  etc.  But  there  are 
other  features  of  the  child-life,  not  to  be  culti- 
vated; as  its  helplessness  and  lack  of  purpose. 
The  babe  is  so  helpless,  weak  and  dependent.  Its 
bones  and  muscles,  its  legs  and  back  are  not 
strong.  And  then,  too,  the  babe  does  not  live 
with  any  fixed  purpose  in  view,  nor  direct  its 
energies  to  any  given  goal.  It  drops  one  toy  only 
to  pick  up  another,  it  builds  one  castle  in  Spain, 
only  to  desert  it,  before  it  is  half  done,  to  plan 
another.  So  these  carnal  Christians  are  babes  in 
helplessness,  and  in  lack  of  lofty  purpose.  They 
have  weak  limbs  and  frail  spines;  they  are  not 
consumed  with  noble  resolves,  or  driven  on  with 
a  Christlike  enthusiasm.     They  are  babes. 

2.  They  live  upon  milk.  Now,  milk  is  food 
partially  digested  by  somebody  else.  The  mother 
partially  digests  the  food  for  the  child,  because  the 
child  has  not  the  digestive  and  assimilative 
strength  to  do  so  for  himself.     So  these  carnal 


i64       TWO    KINDS   OF   CHRISTIANS 

Christians  live  upon  milk,  food  partially  digested 
by  somebody  else.  They  attach  themselves  to  this 
or  that  preacher  or  teacher,  and  give  as  their 
basis  of  belief,  "So  and  so  says  so."  They  are 
not  able  to  give  a  good  reason  for  the  hope  that 
is  in  them.  They  have  no  life  in  themselves. 
They  do  not  search  the  Scriptures  for  themselves. 
They  are  like  Jeremiah's  broken  cisterns  that  can 
hold  no  water.  They  are  in  no  sense  "a  well  of 
water  springing  up  unto  eternal  life."  Broken 
cisterns,  empty  and  dry,  they  sit  before  the  pastor 
on  Lord's-day  morning.  He  dumps  into  the  cis- 
terns a  bucket  full,  a  barrel  full,  a  hogshead  full 
of  living  water,  howsoever  much  he  may  have  on 
hand,  and,  poor  man,  before  twenty-four  hours 
have  passed,  with  afternoon  gaieties  and  evening 
larks,  almost  all  of  the  living  water  has  leaked 
away;  and  by  midweek  prayer-meeting  the  cis- 
terns are  entirely  dry.  Oh,  that  they  would  come 
personally  to  the  Christ  and  drink  of  Him,  that 
out  of  them  might  flow  rivers  of  living  water ! 

3.  These  carnal  Christians  are  sectarian.  "For 
when  one  saith,  I  am  of  Paul ;  and  another,  I  am 
of  Apollos;  are  ye  not  men?  (i.  e.,  as  previous 
verse  shows,  carnal  and  walk  after  manner  of 
men?)"  Don't  misunderstand  me.  I  believe  in 
denominational  loyalty.  The  more  mature  a 
Christian  becomes,  the  more  thoroughly  will  he 
believe  the  peculiar  phases  of  truth  emphasized 
by    his    own    denomination,    provided   they   are 


TWO   KINDS   OF   CHRISTIANS       165 

worthy  of  belief.  He  will  be  a  better  Presbyte- 
rian, a  better  Methodist,  a  better  Baptist,  etc.  I 
am  not  waging  war  against  denominations,  but 
against  the  narrow,  sectarian  spirit.  How  may 
we  know  whether  we  are  sectarian?  Which 
stands  first  in  your  heart?  Your  church  or  Jesus 
Christ?  Is  the  Christian  life  for  you  synonymous 
with  membership  in  your  church?  Or  does  the 
Christian  life  mean  to  you,  above  and  beyond  all 
things  else,  living  fellowship  with  a  personal 
Redeemer  and  Friend?  He  who  puts  his  church 
first  is  sectarian.  So  is  it  with  these  carnal  Chris- 
tians. The  Christian  life  to  such  is  largely  a 
matter  of  times  and  places,  of  church  and  cere- 
mony, of  creed  and  ritual.  It  is  largely  external. 
Little  is  made  of  personal  union  with  Christ,  and 
of  a  Christ-like  life  through  faith  in  and  fellow- 
ship with  Jesus.  Much  is  made  of  form  and 
external  proprieties.  Life  is  always  large  and 
free,  the  spirit  means  liberty.  Sectarian  form  is 
often  small  and  dwarfing.  Every  denomination  can 
furnish  examples  similar  to  the  following  incident. 
I  once  heard  of  a  man  who,  from  the  steps  of  a  plat- 
form, was  attempting  to  address  a  large  audience. 
He  was  so  small  that  the  audience  requested  him  to 
go  up  higher  upon  the  steps  that  they  might  see 
him.  He  did  so.  Again  the  cry  came  from  the 
audience,  *' Higher!  higher!  go  up  higher."  And 
the  little  man  replied,  '*I  can't.  I  am  as  high  as 
I  can  get.     I'm  a  Baptist."     High  as  you  can  get 


i66       TWO   KINDS   OF   CHRISTIANS 

because  you  are  a  Baptist!  May  God  have  mercy 
upon  your  little  shriveled-up  soul.  I'm  a  Baptist 
too,  by  conviction  and  by  confession,  as  well  as 
by  birth  and  breeding.  But  is  there  nothing 
higher  possible  than  to  be  a  Baptist,  or  a  Meth- 
odist; a  Presbyterian,  or  a  Disciple?  Oh!  to  be 
a  Christian  is  infinitely  higher  than  to  be  any  or 
all  of  these.  Put  loyalty  to  Christ  first;  then 
loyalty  to  the  church. 

4.  Carnal  Christians  are  unable  "to  discern 
good  and  evil. ' '  They  have  not  grown  in  grace 
and  in  the  knowledge  of  His  will.  They  have  not 
learned  rightly  to  test  things,  and  to  approve  only 
those  things  that  are  excellent.  Their  senses 
have  not  been  "exercised  by  reason  of  use  to  dis- 
cern good  and  evil."  They  are  ever  and  anon 
doing  things  that  are  not  worth  while,  that  do  not 
edify,  or  build  up.  They  have  no  clear  concep- 
tion as  to  what  is  Christ-like,  and  what  is  not 
Christ-like.  They  are  swayed  by  custom  and  cir- 
cumstance rather  than  by  conviction  and  charac- 
ter. These,  then,  are  four  characteristics  of  carnal 
Christians.  They  are  babes ;  they  live  on  milk ; 
they  are  sectarian ;  they  are  unable  to  discern  good 
and  evil.  In  proportion  as  we  approximate  this 
condition,  we  approach  the  state  of  the  carnal. 

But  how  can  we  get  away  from  the  babyhood 
state  and  come  into  the  mature  life?  Not  by  any 
short-cut  method,  nor  by  any  "French  taught  in 
two  weeks"  plan.      Nor  shall  we  get  it  in  any 


TWO    KINDS   OF   CHRISTIANS       167 

miraculous  manner,  as  a  direct  and  immediate 
answer  to  prayer.  As  well  might  the  baby-boy 
pray,  *'0  God!  make  me  a  full-grown,  great,  big 
man  right  off  to-day."  Such  a  prayer  would  not 
be  in  accord  with  God's  will,  nor  in  conformity 
with  God's  method  of  working.  The  baby-boy 
must  fulfill  certain  well-known  conditions,  and  in 
time  he  will  become  a  "great,  big  man."  He 
must  eat,  he  must  sleep,  he  must  exercise  and 
work,  he  must  live  in  a  healthy  environment.  So 
the  baby  Christian  must  fulfill  certain  well-known 
conditions,  if  he  would  become  an  adult  Chris- 
tian; and  these  conditions  are  similar  to  those  of 
physical  growth.  He  must  accept  the  completed 
work  of  Christ,  must  step  out  on  the  promises,  and 
live  a  life  of  implicit  trust  in  Him.  This  is  his 
rest.  He  must  commune  with  God  in  prayer, 
learn  of  Him  through  the  Scriptures,  work  for  Him 
in  his  daily  life.  This  is  his  food  and  exercise. 
He  must  also  surround  himself  with  helpful  influ- 
ences, and,  through  membership  in  the  church 
and  Christian  societies,  through  attendance  upon 
the  house  of  God  and  mid-week  prayer-meeting, 
through  Christian  friendship  and  fellowship,  he 
must  find  that  healthy  environment  which  is 
necessary  to  the  development  of  a  strong  Chris- 
tian life.  These  plain  conditions  fulfilled  by  even 
the  youngest  and  weakest  of  Christ's  babes,  will, 
with  the  factor  of  time  added,  most  surely  result 
in  the  longed-for  Christian  maturity. 


i68       TWO   KINDS   OF   CHRISTIANS 

And  should  you  ask,  "What  are  some  of  the 
striking  features  of  the  mature  Christian  life?" 
the  answer  is  evident. 

I.  It  is  a  life  of  personal  possession.  It  is  a 
life  of  conscious  and  constant  communion  with 
Christ.  Creed  and  ritual,  church  and  ceremony 
are  precious,  because  they  are  a  visible,  external 
representation  of  that  which  is  a  personal,  spirit- 
ual experience.  The  mature  Christian  feels  a 
thrill  in  his  soul  as  he  cries  out  in  the  personal 
experience  of  David,  "The  Lord  is  my  Shep- 
herd." He  loves  to  sing  that  blessed  song  of 
personal  appropriation  and  conscious  possession, 
"My  Jesus,  I  love  Thee,  I  know  Thou  art  mine." 
That  which  is  not  personal  is  not  powerful.  Had 
S.  F.  Smith  written  "Our  Country,  'Tis  of  Thee," 
we  should  never  have  adopted  it  as  our  national 
song.  But  when  he  had  the  genius  to  write  "My 
Country,  'Tis  of  Thee,"  he  struck  a  responsive 
chord  in  every  patriot's  heart.  And  when  the 
writer  of  the  sweet  song  wrote  "My  Jesus,"  he 
struck  a  harp-string  in  the  mature  Christian's  life. 
This  sense  of  personal  possession  and  fact  of  con- 
scious communion  carry  with  them  Christian  assur- 
ance. The  mature  Christian  has  no  doubt  of  his 
salvation.  He  doesn't  say,  "I  hope  I  may  be 
saved."  "I  trust  I  am  a  Christian."  He  knows 
it.  "I  know  Thou  art  mine."  "One  thing  I 
know,  that,  whereas  I  was  blind,  now  I  see."  "I 
know  him  whom  I  have  believed,  and  I  am  per- 


TWO   KINDS   OF   CHRISTIANS       169 

suaded  that  he  is  able  to  guard  that  which  I  have 
committed  unto  him  against  that  day." 

2.  It  is  a  life  of  personal  purity.  The  adult 
Christian,  with  his  sense  of  personal  possession 
and  conscious  communion,  recognizes  the  abso- 
lute necessity  of  personal  purity  in  his  walk.  He 
knows  that  only  those  are  really  blessed  who  are 
pure  in  heart.  They  alone  see  God.  He  regards 
himself  as  a  son  of  God,  a  brother  of  Jesus  Christ, 
a  child  of  a  Heavenly  Father.  "Like  as  he  which 
called  you  is  holy,  be  ye  yourselves  also  holy  in 
all  manner  of  living;  because  it  is  written,  'Ye 
shall  be  holy ;  for  I  am  holy. '  ' '  He  reckons  him- 
self to  be  dead  unto  sin,  but  alive  unto  God.  He 
knows  he  comes  far  short  of  actual  personal 
righteousness,  but  the  desire  and  design  of  his 
life  are  to  "do  always  those  things  which  please 
Him."  He  feels  that  he  must  be  about  his 
Father's  business.  Jesus  has  said  to  him,  "You 
are  the  salt  of  the  earth";  "You  are  the  light  of 
the  world";  "You  shall  witness  of  these  things." 
The  mature  Christian  recognizes  that  the  world 
does  not  see  the  invisible,  though  living,  Christ; 
except  as  it  sees  Him  in  the  Christian.  Not  "the 
gospel  according  to  Matthew,"  nor  "the  gospel 
according  to  Mark";  not  "the  gospel  according 
to  Luke,"  nor  "the  gospel  according  to  John"; 
but  the  fifth  gospel,  "the  gospel  according  to  you 
and  me,"  is  the  gospel  that  the  world  reads. 
What  sort  of  a  gospel  is  "the  gospel  according  to 


I70       TWO   KINDS   OF   CHRISTIANS 

you  and  according  to  me"?  Is  it  an  argument  for 
Christ  and  Christianity?  Or  is  it  an  argument 
against  Christ?  Does  the  sensitive  soul  incline 
more  strongly  to  become  a  follower  of  Him, 
because  that  soul  knows  your  life  and  mine?  Or 
do  we  discourage  people  by  our  lives  from  start- 
ing in  the  Christian  life?  Are  we  His  representa- 
tives? If  so,  do  we  re-present  Christ  in  our  lives? 
Or  do  we  mis-represent  Him?  The  importance 
of  these  things  the  mature  Christian  realizes,  and 
he  aims  to  make  his  life,  through  Christ's  help,  a 
life  of  personal  purity. 

3.  It  is  a  life  of  persistent  purpose.  One  of  the 
undesirable  features  of  the  baby-life  is  its  indeci- 
sion, its  lack  of  definite  purpose.  The  child  is 
carried  here  and  there  by  every  freak  of  fancy, 
unstable  in  all  his  ways.  He  lives  for  the  imme- 
diate present  and  the  gratification  of  each  passing 
whim.  On  the  contrary  a  prominent  feature  of 
all  healthy  maturity  is  the  presence  of  some 
strong  motive  power  and  noble  purpose,  which 
give  direction  to  one's  endeavors  and  act  as  a 
compass  in  life.  This  persistent  purpose  gives 
steadiness  and  poise  to  one's  living;  and  lifts  one 
above  the  dreary,  dry  drudgery  of  the  common- 
place. For  the  Christian  there  can  be  but  one 
highest  motive,  "For  me  to  live  is  Christ."  To 
live  for  Him,  to  win  fruit  for  Him,  to  become 
constantly  more  and  more  like  Him.  One  resolve 
for  the  mature  Christian  must  always  take  prece- 


TWO   KINDS   OF   CHRISTIANS       171 

dence  of  all  others.  "That  I  may  gain  Christ, 
and  be  found  in  him,  not  having  a  righteousness 
of  mine  own,  even  that  which  is  of  the  law,  but 
that  which  is  of  God  by  faith :  that  I  may  know 
him  and  the  power  of  his  resurrection  and  the 
fellowship  of  his  sufferings,  being  conformed  unto 
his  death ;  if  by  any  means  I  may  attain  unto  the 
resurrection  of  tlie  dead."  "One  thing  I  do  .  .  . 
I  press  on  toward  the  goal,  unto  the  prize  of  the 
high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus.  Let  us  there- 
fore, as  many  as  be  perfect  (mature),  be  thus 
minded." 

4.  It  is  a  life  of  perpetual  progress.  At  first 
one  might  make  the  mistake  of  supposing  that 
maturity  of  life  means  a  cessation  of  growth. 
But  it  is  not  thus  in  the  normal  life.  There  will 
be  a  constant  deepening  and  sweetening  and 
broadening  of  the  soul's  experience.  The  path  of 
the  righteous  will  grow  brighter  and  brighter 
unto  the  perfect  day.  The  more  one  develops 
into  maturity  of  life,  the  more  one  realizes  his 
own  short  -  comings,  and  the  loftiness  of  the 
heights  of  holiness.  No  really  mature  person 
ever  thinks  that  he  has  already  attained  the  goal. 
The  more  one  really  knows,  the  less  he  thinks  he 
knows;  and  the  more  he  sees  there  is  to  learn. 
So  it  is  in  all  departments  of  life.  So  it  is  in  the 
Christian's  experience.  Paul,  in  the  maturity  of 
a  rich  Christian  life,  said,  in  deepest  humility 
and  without  any  consciousness  of  spiritual  superi- 


172       TWO    KINDS   OF   CHRISTIANS 

ority,  *'Not  that  I  have  already  obtained,  or  am 
already  made  perfect:  but  I  press  on,  if  so  be 
that  I  may  apprehend  that  for  which  also  I  was 
apprehended  by  Christ  Jesus.  Brethren,  I  count 
not  myself  yet  to  have  apprehended,  but  one 
thing  I  do,  forgetting  the  things  which  are  behind 
(the  failures  of  the  past,  the  attainments  of  the 
past),  and  stretching  forward  to  the  things  which 
are  before,  I  press  on  toward  the  goal  .  .  .  Let 
us  therefore,  as  many  as  be  perfect,  be  thus 
minded." 

5.  It  is  a  life  of  permanent  power.  One  great 
reason  why  our  churches  do  not  have  more  power 
with  God  and  man  is  because  there  is  in  them 
such  a  large  body  of  carnal  Christians ;  Christians 
who  are  babes  in  Christ;  in  whom  the  world 
rules ;  who  upon  the  foundation,  Christ,  are  build- 
ing hay,  wood  and  stubble;  who,  by  the  grace 
of  God,  shall  be  saved,  yet  so  as  by  fire ;  whose 
works  shall  be  burned  and  destroyed,  and  they 
themselves  shall  suffer  loss;  whose  lives  count 
for  little  or  nothing  so  far  as  permanent  power  is 
concerned.  The  primary  need  of  Christ,  of  the 
church,  of  the  world  to-day,  is  not  for  more  pro- 
fessing Christians,  but  for  a  better  type  and  grade 
of  Christians ;  not  for  more  disciples,  but  for  more 
in  the  disciples;  nor  for  more  branches  on  the 
vine,  but  for  more  on  each  branch ;  not  for  more 
foliage,  but  for  more  fruit.  But  we  must  not 
pray  directly  for  more  fruit,  but  first  for  more 


TWO   KINDS   OF   CHRISTIANS       173 

love  and  more  life.  God  will  not  hang  rich,  red, 
ripe,  luscious  fruit  upon  rotten  boughs ;  or  grow 
good  grapes  upon  impoverished  vines.  If  it  is 
fruit  that  is  desired,  let  us  then  remember  that 
'•fruits  come  from  roots."  Only  maturity  of  life 
means  much  fruit.  For  the  mature  life  can  no 
more  fail  of  fruit,  and  be  lacking  in  permanent 
power,  than  the  sun  can  cease  to  shine. 

Let  us  then  flee  away  from  babyhood  with  its 
weakness  and  feeding  upon  milk,  with  its  sectari- 
anism and  lack  of  discernment  Let  us,  by  using 
the  means  of  grace,  grow  in  grace  and  in  the 
knowledge  of  His  will,  and  strive  to  attain  to  the 
fulness  of  the  stature  of  manhood  and  woman- 
hood in  Christ.  Then  we  shall  come  into  a  life 
of  personal  possession,  personal  purity,  persistent 
purpose,  perpetual  progress  and  permanent 
power.  Then  will  life  be,  indeed,  an  inspiration 
and  a  joy;  and  at  its  earthly  close  we  may  say 
with  grand  old  Paul : 

"I  have  fought  the  good  fight, 

I  have  finished  the  course, 

I  have  kept  the  faith ; 

Henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  the  crown  of 
righteousness. ' ' 

"Life's  race  well  run; 
Life's  work  well  done; 
Life's  crown  well  won." 


Individual  Responsibility  for 
Souls 

Ezekiel 33 :j. — ''So  thou,  son  of  man,  I  have  set  thee  a 
awatchman  unto  the  house  of  Israel;  therefore  hear 
the  word  at  my  mouth,  and  give  them  warning  from 
me.'' 
Matt,  s •'  J3' — '^y^  ^^^  l^^  s^^l  of  i^^  earth.'' 
Matt,  s :  14. — ''Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world." 
Acts  1:8. — "And ye  shall  be  my  witnesses." 
Revelation  22:17. — "And  he  that  heareth,   let  htm  say 
'Come.'  " 

IN  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  Romans  and  in 
the  seventh  verse  we  find  these  significant 
words,  '*For  none  of  us  liveth  unto  himself 
and  none  dieth  unto  himself."  This  striking 
sentence  was  written  by  Paul  over  eighteen  hun- 
dred years  ago.  If  it  meant  anything  then,  what 
must  it  mean  now?  Eighteen  hundred  years  ago 
the  world  seemed  large.  Men  lived  far  apart 
from  one  another,  in  isolated  communities,  mutu- 
ally ignorant  and  mutually  suspicious  of  each 
other.  But  to-day  isolation  is  no  longer  possible. 
The  world  has  become  small.  Modern  science 
has  made  the  whole  round  world  one  small  neigh- 
174 


RESPONSIBILITY   FOR  SOULS      175 

borhood.  As  Dr.  Josiah  Strong  has  put  it :  *  *  Steam 
and  electricity  have  mightily  compressed  the 
earth :  the  elbows  of  the  nations  touch. '  *  If,  in 
that  far-off  time  of  isolation  and  separation,  Paul 
could  write,  '*None  of  us  liveth  unto  himself  and 
no  one  dieth  unto  himself, ' '  what  added  weight  of 
truth  is  found  in  his  words  to-day!  The  intri- 
cate intimacies  of  modern  life  are  remarkable  for 
their  closeness.  We  have  all  been  shoved  together 
into  nearness  of  relationship ;  and  these  relation- 
ships bring  responsibility.  No  longer  is  it  possi- 
ble for  individual  or  nation  to  live  alone,  apart 
from  relationship  and  without  responsibility.  We 
are  born  into  relationships,  we  live  in  the  midst 
of  them,  we  die  in  the  midst  of  them.  We  are 
related  to  God,  to  self,  to  each  other;  and  our 
relationships  determine  for  us  our  duties.  The 
effect  of  relationship  and  influence  may  be  illus- 
trated from  the  physical  world.  In  the  world  of 
matter  the  molecules  of  matter  all  touch  one 
upon  another.  No  molecule  exists  apart  from  its 
fellows.  And  so  when  I  move  my  hand  through 
space,  I  disturb  all  the  molecules  of  air  which  are 
within  my  immediate  reach,  which  molecules 
disturb  other  molecules,  until  the  wave  of  dis- 
turbance goes  round  the  world.  Drop  a  pebble 
upon  the  surface  of  a  lake,  and  from  that  small 
point  of  disturbance  a  series  of  concentric  circles 
will  be  formed,  larger  and  larger,  larger  and 
larger,  until  they  cover  the  surface  of  the  whole 


176       RESPONSIBILITY    FOR   SOULS 

water.  So  in  the  world  of  persons,  we  are  related 
one  to  another.  No  one  stands  absolutely  alone. 
No  one  lives  who  is  entirely  without  influence. 
Every  one  is  helping  or  hindering  others  every 
day  of  his  life.  There  is  no  flower  that  blooms 
even  on  the  dizziest  mountain  peak  or  in  the 
deepest  dell,  but  that  the  air  is  sweeter  because 
of  it.  There  is  no  cesspool  anywhere,  however 
hidden,  but  that  the  air  is  fouler  because  of  it. 
Nor  has  any  one  of  us  to-day  had  a  thought  or 
desire  heavenward,  but  that  the  world  is  better 
for  it.  Nor  has  any  one  of  us  had  a  thought  or 
desire  of  evil  to-day,  but  that  this  world  of  ours 
has  swung  a  little  nearer  the  pit.  But  it  is  not  of 
general  relationships,  nor  of  responsibilities  in 
general  that  I  wish  now  to  speak;  but  of  a  certain 
specific  relationship,  and  of  a  particular  responsi- 
bility. We  enjoy  listening  to  general  truths.  We 
do  not  like  specific  applications.  David  was  enter- 
tained by  Nathan's  beautiful  parable  of  the  Ewe 
Lamb.  He  was  only  convicted  of  sin,  when 
Nathan  made  the  general  specific,  and  said, 
"Thou  art  the  man."  Let  none  of  us,  then,  try 
to  hide  behind  a  general  truth,  but  let  us  be  indi- 
vidually honest  with  a  personal  duty.  God's  first 
question  to  man  in  the  Garden  was,  "Where  art 
thou?"  This  question,  I  presume,  the  major- 
ity of  my  audience  have  already  answered.  But 
there  was  a  second  question  which  soon  followed, 
"Where  is  thy  brother?"     How  are  you  answer- 


RESPONSIBILITY   FOR    SOULS       177 

ing  this  question?  In  the  spirit  of  Cain,  are  you 
trying  to  cast  off  all  responsibility  by  saying, 
**Am  I  my  brother's  keeper?"  Or  in  the  spirit  of 
the  second  Adam,  the  Christ  of  Nazareth,  are  you 
going  out  to  seek  and  to  save  the  lost?  Whom 
are  you  following,  Cain  or  Christ?  *' Where  is  thy 
brother?"  This,  then,  is  the  theme  for  our  pres- 
ent consideration,  individual  responsibility  for  the 
salvation  of  souls. 

I.  There  are  not  two  moral  standards  laid  down 
in  Scripture ;  one  for  the  preacher  or  evangelist, 
and  another  for  the  ordinary  Christian.  The 
preacher  or  evangelist  is  only  the  ordinary  Chris- 
tian doing,  with  all  of  his  time  and  energy,  that 
which  every  Christian  is  bound  by  duty  and  love 
to  do.  All  of  us  have  been  saved  to  serve.  All 
of  us  are  sons  of  God,  and  are  called  to  work  in 
our  Father's  vineyard.  All  are  commissioned 
and  sent  forth  to  do  the  Father's  business.  There 
is  not  a  verse  or  passage  in  all  Scripture,  from 
Genesis  to  Revelation,  properly  translated  and 
interpreted  in  the  light  of  its  context,  and  in  full 
view  of  the  gradualness  and  progressiveness  of 
revelation;  not  a  single  verse  or  passage  which 
teaches,  or  even  intimates,  that  the  preacher, 
evangelist  or  trained  worker  ought  to  feel  the 
burden  for  souls,  while  the  ordinary  Christian 
and  layman  ought  not  to  feel  it.  These  two 
moral  standards  are  not  Scriptural.  All  Scripture 
in  its  trend  and  in  its  teaching  is  opposed  to  such 


178       RESPONSIBILITY    FOR    SOULS 

a  double  standard  of  duty.  One  marked  differ- 
ence between  the  Old  Covenant  and  the  New 
Covenant,  as  foretold  in  Old  Testament  prophecy 
and  fulfilled  in  New  Testament  days  (as  the 
eighth  chapter  of  Hebrews  makes  clear),  lies 
just  in  this  fact  that  in  the  days  of  the  Old 
Covenant  God's  Spirit  was  poured  out  only  upon 
a  few  persons  in  a  generation,  upon  prophet, 
priest  or  king;  while  in  the  days  of  the  New 
Covenant  the  Spirit  is  poured  out  upon  all  the 
members  of  the  kingdom.  Recall  for  a  moment 
that  wonderful  prophecy  of  Joel.  A  severe 
locust  plague  had  been  followed  by  a  drought. 
The  people  in  their  distress  turned  to  God  with 
fasting  and  prayer.  In  answer  to  prayer  God 
removed  the  locusts,  and,  through  the  pouring  out 
of  rain,  the  drought.  And  then  God  gave  a  won- 
derful promise.  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass  after- 
ward (using  that  indefinite  phrasing  of  which  the 
prophets  were  fond)  that  I  will  pour  out  my 
spirit  upon  all  flesh;  and  your  sons  and  your 
daughters  shall  prophesy,  your  old  men  shall 
dream  dreams,  your  young  men  shall  see  visions: 
and  also  upon  the  servants  and  upon  the  hand- 
maids in  those  days  will  I  pour  out  my  spirit." 
Eight  hundred  years  and  more  rolled  around. 
Jesus  lived,  died,  rose  again,  ascended  to  the 
Father  and  sent  his  Spirit  upon  the  company  of 
disciples  at  Pentecost — and  that  Spirit  rested  upon 
each  one  of  them.     Those    who    witnessed    the 


RESPONSIBILITY    FOR   SOULS       179 

wonders  of  that  day  said,  "These  men  are  filled 
with  new  wine. "  But  Peter,  standing  up  with  the 
eleven  said,  ''These  are  not  drunken,  as  ye  sup- 
pose ;  seeing  it  is  but  the  third  hour  of  the  day ; 
but  this  is  that  which  hath  been  spoken  by  the 
prophet  Joel,  'And  it  shall  be  in  the  last  days, 
saith  God,  I  will  pour  forth  of  my  Spirit  upon  all 
flesh:  and  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall 
prophesy,  and  your  young  men  shall  see  visions, 
and  your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams :  Yea,  and 
on  my  servants  and  on  my  hand-maidens  in  those 
days  will  I  pour  forth  of  my  Spirit  and  they  shall 
prophesy.*  "  To  prophesy  does  cot  mean  to  fore- 
tell so  much  as  to  forth  tell.  A  prophet  was  one 
who  spoke  for  another.  God  said  to  Moses,  "And 
Aaron,  thy  brother,  shall  be  thy  prophet,"  (thy 
spokesman).  Now  Joel  foretold  that,  while  then 
only  a  few,  prophet,  priest  or  king,  had  the  gift 
of  God's  soirit  and  were  commissioned  to  speak 
for  Him,  the  time  would  come  when  things  would 
be  different.  The  time  would  come  when,  as  God 
had  abundantly  poured  out  the  rain.  He  would 
abundantly  pour  out  His  Spirit;  not  simply  upon 
an  official  prophet,  priest  or  king,  but  upon  all, 
irrespective  of  age,  sex  or  condition :  young  and 
old,  bond  and  free,  male  and  female,  all  should 
have  the  gift  of  God's  Spirit,  and  he  privileged, 
yes,  commissioned  to  declare  God's  truth.  This 
was  fulfilled  and  is  being  fulfilled  in  this  New 
Testament  time,  the  age  of  the  Spirit.     So  we 


i8o       RESPONSIBILITY   FOR   SOULS 

find  Christians  everywhere  addressed  thus:  "Ye 
are  the  light  of  the  world;"  '*Ye  are  the  salt  of 
the  earth;"  "And  ye  shall  be  my  witnesses;" 
"The  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say,  'Come,'  and  him 
that  heareth,  let  him  say,  *Come'."  This  is  the 
very  genius  of  the  New  Testament  plan  of  the 
world's  salvation,  that  every  one,  who  hears  and 
heeds  the  message  of  salvation,  is  to  go  out  and 
declare  it  unto  his  fellows.  We  are  stewards  of 
the  manifold  grace  of  God,  and  it  is  required  of 
stewards  that  a  man  be  found  faithful.  Christ's 
great  commission  to  the  Christian  church  recog- 
nizes no  double  standard  of  duty,  but  commands 
every  disciple.  "All  power  is  given  unto  me, 
...  go  ye  therefore,  .  .  .  make  disciples,  .  .  . 
and  lo:  I  am  with  you  all  the  days." 

2.  Again,  let  us  note  the  danger  of  our  times. 
In  the  business  world  to-day  we  do  much  of  our 
business  through  middlemen,  or  commissioners. 
For  example,  I  w^as  recently  in  Greenville,  Mich., 
an  important  potato  market  of  that  State.  Now 
the  farmers  who  live  about  Greenville,  and  who 
raise  large  quantities  of  excellent  potatoes,  do 
not  sell  these  potatoes  directly  to  the  consumers, 
but  bring  them  into  North  Greenville  and  sell 
them  to  the  potato  commissioners,  allowing  the 
middlemen  a  profit,  or  margin,  for  the  selling  of 
the  potatoes.  The  commissioners  sell  them  to 
the  wholesalers,  the  wholesalers  to  retailers, 
the  retailers  to  the  consumers,  and  each  gets  a 


RESPONSIBILITY   FOR   SOULS       i8i 

profit,  or  margin,  on  the  sales.  In  other  words 
the  middlemen  are  paid  a  living  by  the  farmers 
for  selling  their  potatoes  for  them.  Thus  much 
of  the  business  of  to-day  is  done.  Now  the  dan- 
ger of  the  times  is  just  this:  that  people  shall 
begin  to  try  to  meet  their  religious  obligations 
too  much  in  this  same  spirit.  You  say,  ''Why 
do  we  pay  our  pastor  a  salary?  Why  do  we  support 
the  church?  Why  do  we  engage  an  evangelist, 
unless  it  is  that  they  may  do  our  religion  for  us, 
and  save  those  whom  we  ought  to  be  saving?" 
There  is,  to  be  sure,  some  truth  implied  in  your 
query.  But  we  must  ever  keep  in  mind  that 
these  personal,  religious  obligations  cannot  be 
easily  nor  safely  shifted  from  layman  to  preacher. 
These  responsibilities  are  ours,  individually,  and 
whenever  we  try  to  hire  others  to  meet  them  for 
us,  we  ourselves  suffer  great  personal  loss,  and 
the  kingdom  is  hindered.  Some  years  ago  in 
many  of  our  young  cities  there  was  a  volunteer 
fire  brigade.  In  every  home  was  a  bucket  in  the 
hall,  full  of  water,  marked  "For  fire,"  ready  for 
use.  When  the  village,  or  city,  fire  bell  rang, 
everybody  dropped  everything  and  ran  for  the 
bucket,  and  the  fire.  And,  through  hearty 
co-operation  and  a  multitude  of  helpers,  the  con- 
flagration was  soon  extinguished.  But  to-day, 
when  the  fire  bell  rings,  we  listen  to  the  number, 
look  at  our  fire  card,  and,  if  the  fire  is  not  in  the 
neighborhood  of  our  store  or  home,  we  leisurely 


i82       RESPONSIBILITY   FOR   SOULS 

pursue  our  pleasure.  We  have  hired  somebody 
to  fight  our  fires  for  us.  In  old  New  England 
days  it  was  the  custom  that  services  should  be 
begun  in  the  meeting-houses  '*at  early  candle- 
lighting."  As  the  people  came  to  church,  each 
brought  a  candle,  and  something  with  which  to 
light  it;  when  enough  lighted  candles  had  come 
to  light  the  meeting-house,  services  would  begin. 
But  to-day,  we  have  our  oil-lights,  or  gas-lights, 
or  our  electric-lights  in  our  churches;  the  janitor 
is  hired  to  light  them ;  and  we  leave  our  candles 
and  our  lights  at  home.  And,  believe  me,  there 
are  places  where,  if  you  should  wait  until  enough 
lighted  candles  had  arrived  to  light  up  the  meet- 
ing-house, before  you  should  begin  the  service, 
services  would  never  begin.  We  hire  somebody 
to  light  up  the  church  for  us,  and  we  leave  our 
candles  at  home.  Even  as  Mr.  Moody  was  told 
in  Scotland,  when  he  complained  of  there  being 
no  fire  in  a  certain  church  in  extremely  cold 
weather,  "No,  we  have  no  fire:  we  expect  you 
to  warm  us  up,"  so  do  people  here  sometimes 
expect  the  preacher  or  pastor  or  evangelist  to  do 
all  of  the  work,  carry  all  of  the  burdens,  and  save 
all  of  the  souls. 

3.  Yet  the  commands  of  God  are  individual; 
relationships  are  individual ;  responsibility  is  indi- 
vidual. The  Bible  everywhere  treats  men  and 
women  as  individuals.  We  are  not  all  alike,  not 
blocks,  not  cogs  in  a  wheel,  not  things ;  but  per- 


RESPONSIBILITY   FOR   SOULS       183 

sons.  No  book  in  the  world  has  done  so  much 
for  the  individual  man,  has  so  emphasized  his 
worth  and  his  personality,  as  has  the  Bible.  It 
has  brought  about  the  abolition  of  slavery;  it  has 
introduced  popular  education;  it  has  led  to  the 
building  of  hospitals ;  it  has  lessened  the  atroci- 
ties of  war  as  well  as  the  possibility  of  war;  it  has 
led  to  many  labor-reforms,  etc.,  largely  through 
its  emphasis  of  the  fact  and  the  worth  of  the 
individual.  Both  nature  and  revelation  empha- 
size the  fact  of  individuality.  We  are  born  as 
individuals;  we  live  as  individuals;  we  die  as 
individuals.  We  are  saved  as  individuals ;  Christ 
loves  us  and  died  for  us  as  individuals,  "tasting 
death  for  every  man" ;  we  are  lost  as  individuals; 
we  shall  be  judged  as  individuals.  "For  we  must 
all  be  made  manifest  before  the  judgment-seat  of 
Christ;  that  each  one  may  receive  the  things  done 
in  the  body,  according  to  what  he  hath  done, 
whether  it  be  good  or  bad."  God's  commands 
are  individual.  "Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,"  and  "Thou  shalt  love  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself, ' '  are  the  two  great  commands 
of  the  Savior;  and  both  of  them  are  individual  and 
personal.  Our  ability  is  the  measure  of  our 
responsibility.  God  expects  us  to  do  only  what 
we  can  do.  If  there  is  a  single  soul  anywhere 
whom  we  can  influence  to  come  to  Christ,  if  we 
do  not  so  do,  God  can  rightly  hold  us  responsible 
for  the  consequences  of  our  negligence.     If  a  sin- 


i84       RESPONSIBILITY   FOR   SOULS 

gle  soul  through  our  faithlessness  is  lost,  who 
would  have  been  saved  had  we  been  faithful, 
then,  in  some  real  sense,  God  can  and  will  hold 
us  responsible  for  that  soul.  This  seems  to  be 
the  plain  teaching  of  Ezekiel  ^^  ^s  well  as  the 
plain  implication  of  other  passages  of  Scripture. 
How  earnest  and  active  ought  each  one  of  us  to 
be!  There  is  a  question  in  the  minds  of  some 
people  as  to  what  is  the  present  position  and  work 
of  the  church  of  Christ.  Is  the  church  a  fine 
palace,  filled  with  beauty  and  luxury,  in  the  midst 
of  a  cool  grove,  with  music  and  gaiety  resounding 
through  its  halls  and  its  rooms  filled  with  pleas- 
ure seekers?  Or  is  it  a  lighthouse  out  upon 
the  reefs,  its  rays  of  brightness  and  light 
shining  far  out  over  the  deep?  Which  is  it,  a 
palace  full  of  pleasure  seekers,  or  a  lighthouse, 
filled  with  life-savers?  But  a  more  personal  ques- 
tion is,  "How  does  your  life  and  mine  count?" 
Are  we  helping  to  make  our  church  simply  a 
pleasure  palace,  or  are  we  helping  to  make  it  a 
life-saving  station?  How  does  your  life  count  in 
your  church?  Some  people  are  wondering 
whether  the  church  is  a  brass-trimmed  yacht  out 
on  a  pleasant  cruise ;  or  whether  it  is  a  life-boat, 
thrust  out  through  the  surf,  each  man  pulling  an 
oar.  Which  is  it,  life-boat  or  pleasure  yacht? 
How  does  your  life  count  in  your  church?  Is 
your  church  more  of  a  life-boat,  because  you  are 
a  member  there;    or  is  your  church  more  of  a 


RESPONSIBILITY   FOR   SOULS       185 

pleasure  yacht,  because  of  your  membership  in 
it?  Which  way  does  your  life  count?  Do  you 
recall  the  story  of  Old  Skipper  Ireson?  Ireson 
was  a  fisherman  in  Marblehead.  With  his  mates, 
he  had  been  out  at  the  Banks,  and  had  made  a 
large  haul  of  fish.  On  their  way  home  they 
sighted  a  vessel  near  by,  flying  a  flag  of  distress. 
We  don't  know  who  was  really  to  blame,  whether 
it  was  Ireson  or  his  men.  At  any  rate,  somebody 
said,  **0h,  don't  pay  any  attention  to  that  flag. 
We're  fishermen.  We  don't  belong  to  any  life- 
saving  station.  Our  business  is  to  catch  fish, 
not  to  save  men;  and  we're  very  successful  at  our 
business  too."  And  so  they  made  haste  to  port 
in  order  to  forestall  the  market,  and  sell  their  fish 
at  a  good  price.  They  did  so,  I  suppose.  But, 
you  know,  that  night  the  widows  and  women  of 
Marblehead  "took  old  Floyd  Ireson  for  his  hard 
heart,  and  tarred  and  feathered  him  and  carried 
him  in  a  cart."  Why  was  it?  What  had  he 
done?  Ah,  that  was  just  it.  He  hadn't  done 
anything.  He  had  simply  made  the  mistake  of 
saying,  as  some  of  you  are  saying,  '*My  business 
is  something  else.     I'm  not  a  life-saver." 

4.  There  are  times  of  peculiar  privilege  and 
peculiar  peril,  which  times  are  also  times  of 
peculiar  and  special  responsibility.  Any  church 
which  determines  to  go  into  a  special  effort  to 
save  the  lost,  which  opens  up  its  doors  night  after 
night  and  day  after  day  for  evangelistic  services, 


i86       RESPONSIBILITY    FOR   SOULS 

takes  upon  itself  a  terrible  responsibility.  I  don't 
know  whether  you  appreciated  what  you  were 
doing  when  you  decided  to  undertake  these  meet- 
ings. You  have,  I  trust,  opened  out  before  your- 
selves a  door  of  great  privilege.  I  know  that  you 
have  brought  upon  yourselves  peculiar  peril  and 
a  time  of  special  responsibility.  At  such  a  time 
as  this  many  souls  are  very  sensitive.  It  is  a 
time  when  it  is  easy  to  lead  people  to  Christ.  It 
is  also  a  time  when  it  is  very  easy  to  offend  and 
harden  and  turn  people  away  from  Christ.  Oh, 
how  carefully  and  prayerfully  we  ought  to  walk 
at  such  a  time  as  this!  How  wise  we  need  to  be 
to  see  and  to  seize  every  possible  chance  to  take 
advantage  of  the  tide  and  bring  people  into  the 
harbor  of  life !  Well  might  a  great  preacher  say, 
"I  always  pray  for  such  times,  but  I  also  dread 
them."  It  is  a  time  of  such  peril.  The  rain  that 
falls  softens  some  soil,  and  hardens  other  soil. 
When  the  seed  is  sown,  some  will  fall  by  the  way- 
side, some  on  stony  ground,  seme  among  thorns, 
some  into  good  ground.  "What  shall  the  harvest 
be?"  People  will  come  to  these  meetings  con- 
scious of  the  purpose  of  the  meetings ;  people  will 
come  to  these  meetings  with  the  call  of  God 
inviting  their  souls  to  submission;  people  will 
come  to  these  meetings  expecting  a  plain  per- 
sonal appeal  from  the  pulpit;  people  will  come 
to  these  meetings  rightly  expecting  a  warm,  cor- 
dial reception  in  the  pew ;    people  will  come  to 


RESPONSIBILITY    FOR   SOULS       187 

these  meetings  and  go  out  from  these  meetings 
never  again  to  be  as  they  have  been;  some  v^ill 
be  better,  some  worse,  some  more  inclined 
toward  faith,  some  more  hardened  against  all 
religion,  some  with  souls  forever  saved,  some 
never  again  to  attend  any  special  meetings,  only 
to  go  on  and  on  in  indifference  and  sin.  What 
shall  the  results  of  these  meetings  be?  What  are 
you  and  I  willing  to  make  them?  Down  in  an 
Ohio  city  a  few  years  ago  I  was  holding  a  special 
series  of  meetings  in  the  Baptist  church,  and  was 
told  that  the  large  high-school  building,  which 
adjoined  the  church,  stood  upon  the  water-shed 
of  Ohio.  The  water  which  fell  upon  one  side  of 
the  roof  ran  into  the  headwaters  of  the  Sandusky 
River,  down  the  Sandusky  into  Lake  Erie  and 
into  Lake  Ontario,  and  down  the  St.  Law- 
rence into  the  North  Atlantic  Ocean.  The 
water  which  fell  on  the  other  side  of  the  roof 
went  into  the  headwaters  of  the  Scioto  River, 
down  the  Scioto  into  the  Ohio,  down  the 
Ohio  into  the  Mississippi,  down  the  Mississippi 
into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Now,  for  purposes  of 
illustration,  it  is  not  at  all  difficult  to  imagine  a 
drop  of  water  about  to  fall  right  above  the  ridge- 
pole of  that  roof.  The  slightest  breeze,  either 
from  the  north  or  from  the  south,  will  change  the 
entire  future  history  of  that  drop  of  water.  The 
ridge-pole  and  the  moment  of  falling  constitute  a 
crisis  in  the  little  life  of  that  rain-drop.     If  the 


i88       RESPONSIBILITY   FOR   SOULS 

breeze  is  a  warm  southern  breeze,  the  drop  will 
fall  upon  the  north  side  of  the  roof  and  start  on 
its  long  journey  to  the  North  Atlantic  Ocean.  If 
the  breeze  is  a  cold  northern  one,  the  drop  of  rain 
will  fall  upon  the  southern  side  of  the  roof,  and 
start  on  a  long  journey  away  down  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  So  there  will  come  ridges  of  destiny, 
crises  into  human  lives,  in  these  meetings.  The 
business  of  an  evangelist  is  to  biing  these  crises. 
The  purpose  of  these  meetings  is  to  bring  people 
to  decision.  What  shall  your  influence  be?  By  a 
cold  northern  blast,  by  an  unsympathetic  hand- 
shake, by  half-hearted  singing,  by  lack  of  prayer- 
fulness  in  demeanor,  and  in  heart  life,  by  general 
indifference  to  the  spiritual  purposes  of  the 
occasion,  will  you  discourage  a  sensitive  soul, 
destroy  a  heavenly  impulse,  drive  away  God's 
Holy  Spirit,  and  hinder  some  person  from  accept- 
ing Christ?  Or,  by  a  sweet  prayerful  spirit,  by 
a  warm  genial  personality,  by  a  hearty  welcome 
and  decent  hand-shake,  by  soulful  singing  and 
attentive  presence,  will  you  cheer  and  encourage, 
as  with  a  warm,  sunny  southern  breeze,  some  sen- 
sitive soul  to  start  on  a  blessed  journey  of  life, 
upward  and  heavenward  and  Christ-ward,  until 
at  last  there  shall  be  no  sin  which  has  not  been 
conquered,  and  no  excellence  which  has  not  been 
acquired?  What  part  will  you  choose  to  have  in 
these  meetings? 

God  is  going  to  bless  us.     There  is  no  doubt  of 


RESPONSIBILITY   FOR   SOULS       189 

that.  He  has  promised  always  to  bless  His  truth, 
and  I  believe  that  in  a  special  way  His  Spirit 
broods  over  such  a  meeting  as  this.  But, 
whether  the  blessing  which  we  shall  surely 
receive,  shall  be  a  large  one,  or  a  small  one,  will 
depend  very  largely  upon  us.  We  can  limit  it,  or 
we  can  enlarge  it.  We  can  hinder  it  or  we  can 
help  it.  Would  you  know  how  specially  to  help? 
Four  things  may  here  and  now  be  mentioned. 
(i)  Nothing  but  united,  earnest  effort  can  bring 
the  largest  blessing.  We  must  be  willing  for  the 
time  to  side-track  all  extras,  dress-making,  par- 
ties, special  entertainments,  etc.,  and  give  the 
meetings  the  first  place.  (2)  We  ought  to  have  a 
prayer-time  and  a  prayer-list.  Once  every  day, 
in  closet,  in  the  home,  in  the  store,  on  the  street, 
or  wherever  we  may  happen  to  be,  we  ought  to 
lift  our  hearts  in  earnest  prayer  that  God  may 
specially  bless  these  meetings,  bless  the  pastor 
and  evangelist,  bless  the  church -members  and 
those  in  the  Sunday  Schools,  bless  the  unsaved; 
and,  above  all,  let  each  one  pray  for  himself, 
"O  God,  help  me  to  be  helpful."  "Search 
me,  O  God,  and  know  my  heart;  try  me  and  know 
my  thoughts;  and  see  if  there  be  any  way  of 
wickedness  in  me  and  lead  me  in  the  way  ever- 
lasting."  Not  only  a  prayer-time  but  a  prayer- 
list.  We  must  not  only  talk  to  men  about  God. 
We  need  also  to  talk  to  God  about  men,  and  we 
should  do  this  first.     Don't  have  the  prayer-list 


I90       RESPONSIBILITY   FOR   SOULS 

too  long.  We  need  to  concentrate  as  well  as  con- 
secrate. "To  keep  shot  from  scattering  put  in 
only  one  shot."  We  need  definiteness  of  aim. 
The  man  who  says,  "I'm  praying  that  the  whole 
town  may  be  converted,"  is  probably  not  praying 
or  working  very  definitely  for  anybody.  Start 
your  prayer-list  right  now,  if  you  have  not  already 
done  so.  Somebody  in  your  home,  in  your  neigh- 
borhood, in  your  Sunday- School  class,  in  your 
social  sphere,  ought  to  be  saved  in  these  meet- 
ings. You  know  who  it  is.  Begin  now  to  pray 
for  that  one;  then  follow  up  your  definite  prayers 
with  definite  work,   and  God  will  greatly  bless. 

(3)  Make  one  call  each  day  in  the  interest  of  the 
meetings.  I  don't  mean  a  formal  call,  nor  what 
once  was  named  "a  religious  call."  What  is 
desired  is  that  you  should  summon  up  all  of  the 
graciousness  of  your  personality,  and  in  the  most 
interested  and  persuasive  way  possible,  speak  to 
at  least  one  person  each  day  about  the  meetings. 
If  you  can't  say  something  good  about  the  meet- 
ings, don't  say  anything.  Make  up  your  mind  to 
be,  if  possible,  a  walking  advertisement  among 
your   friends   in   the   interest  of  these   services. 

(4)  Make  an  earnest  and  honest  attempt  to  bring 
one  person  with  you  to  each  service.  Make  an 
engagement  with  a  friend.  Call  at  the  house 
for  him.  It  will  help  you  to  be  unselfish,  will 
put  you,  through  self-sacrifice,  into  a  better  spirit 
for  the   meetings,    and  you'll    share   with  your 


RESPONSIBILITY   FOR   SOULS       191 

friend  a  blessing.  These  four  suggestions  will 
be  of  great  assistance  to  the  meetings,  if  followed 
faithfully  by  you.  Is  it  too  much  to  ask  you  for 
ten  days  honestly  to  try  to  do  these  four  things ; 
put  the  meetings  first,  have  a  prayer-time  and  a 
prayer-list,  make  one  call  or  speak  to  some  one 
each  day  persuasively  about  the  meetings,  make 
an  honest  attempt  to  bring  somebody  with  you  to 
each  service?  Perhaps  it  is  too  much  to  ask  for 
the  pastor's  sake,  for  the  church's  sake,  for  your 
own  sake,  for  the  community's  sake,  for  some 
soul's  sake.  Is  it  too  much  to  ask  for  Christ's 
sake?     For  His  sake,  will  you  try? 


Paul's   Prayer  for  the 
Philippians 

Philippians  i:g'ii, — ''And  this  I  pray,  that  your  love 
may  abound  yet  more  and  more  i7i  knowledge  and  all 
discernment,  so  that  ye  may  approve  the  things  that 
are  excellent,  that  ye  may  be  sincere  and  void  of 
offense  unto  the  day  of  Christ;  being  filled  with  the 
fruits  of  righteousness,  which  are  through  Jesus 
Christ,  U7ito  the  glory  and  praise  of  God.'' 

THE  apostle  Paul  was  not  only  a  man  of 
intense  activity,  but  he  was  also  a  man  of 
much  prayer.  That  he  was  much  given  to 
prayer  appears  not  only  from  the  frequent  men- 
tion of  the  fact  in  Luke's  historical  material  in 
the  book  of  Acts,  and  from  the  frequent  mention 
of  it  by  Paul  himself  in  practically  all  of  his  epis- 
tles; but  it  appears  also  from  the  fact  that  he  knew 
how  to  pray  Prayer  is  a  fine  art.  It  is  some- 
thing that  must  be  learned.  The  disciples  said  to 
Jesus,  *'Lord,  teach  us  to  pray,  even  as  John 
taught  his  disciples  to  pray. ' '  Paul  had  learned 
through  much  toil,  through  large  and  varied 
experiences,  through  patient  practice,  through 
192 


PAUL'S   PRAYER  193 

hours  of  devout  meditation  upon  the  Scriptures, 
how  to  pray.     He  was  a  master  in  prayer. 

A  splendid  way  for  us  to  learn  how  to  pray,  a 
splendid  way  to  learn  how  to  deepen  and  to 
enrich  our  prayers,  to  learn  how  to  keep  them 
out  of  ruts  and  vain  repetitions  (and  there  is 
a  considerable  amount  of  inanity  and  empty 
phrasing  in  much  prayer),  is  to  make  a  study  of 
the  prayers  of  the  Bible.  The  psalms  are  full  of 
prayers,  very  appropriate  to  the  lives  of  men  and 
women  of  to-day.  Let  us  collect  some  of  them, 
meditate  upon  them,  learn  them,  get  into  the  true 
spirit  of  them,  and  make  them  our  own.  The 
historical  books  of  the  Old  Testament  have  in 
them  some  very  fine  prayers.  By  studying 
prayers,  we  may  teach  ourselves  how  to  pray. 
The  gospels  and  the  Acts  have  in  them  some  very 
helpful  prayers.  Let  us  prayerfully  drink  in 
their  spirit,  and  we  ourselves  shall  know  the  bet- 
ter how  to  pray.  In  Paul's  epistles  we  have  much 
material  upon  this  very  important  subject.  In 
the  first  chapter  of  Colossians  is  a  fine  example  of 
prayer,  also  in  the  first  chapter  of  Paul's  love- 
letter  to  the  Philippians.  Either  of  these  passages 
is  worthy  of  special  study.  We  can  take  only 
the  one  from  Philippians  at  this  time  for  the 
subject  of  our  meditation.  The  Philippians  were 
very  dear  to  Paul,  and  Paul  was  very  dear  to  them. 
He  doubtless  felt  that  they  were  nearer  his  ideal 
of  a  church  than  any  company  of  believers  that 


194  PAUL'S   PRAYER 

he  had  been  privileged  to  gather.  There  was 
among  them  very  little  of  irregularity  in  doctrine 
and  practice.  They  were  closely  in  sympathy 
with  his  work  and  with  spiritual  things.  Paul 
could  open  his  very  heart  to  them,  and  we  find  in 
this  letter  more  of  the  inner  motives  of  the  great 
apostle  to  the  Gentiles  expressed  than  in  any  other 
of  his  epistles.  Paul  had  already  received  many 
tokens  of  the  love  of  these  Philippians.  Twice  be- 
fore the  occasion  of  this  letter  of  gratitude,  they 
had  sent  to  relieve  his  necessities.  And  now  that 
Paul  is  a  prisoner  at  Rome,  chained  to  a  Roman 
soldier  and  no  longer  able  to  make  his  own  liv- 
ing, the  Philippians  send  to  him  by  Epaphro- 
ditus  an  expression  of  love  and  that  which  would 
supply  his  need.  In  the  spring  of  the  year,  as 
Epaphroditus  is  about  to  return  to  Philippi,  Paul 
sends  by  his  hand  to  the  Philippians  this  letter  of 
affection  and  grateful  appreciation.  After  the 
usual  salutation,  the  apostle  expresses  his  thanks- 
giving for  their  past  life,  his  confidence  in  their 
future,  and  his  earnest  prayer  for  their  present. 
"And  this  I  pray,  that  your  love  may  abound  yet 
more  and  more  in  knowledge  and  all  discernment; 
so  that  ye  may  approve  the  things  that  are  excel- 
lent; that  ye  may  be  sincere  and  void  of  offence 
unto  the  day  of  Christ;  being  filled  with  the 
fruits  of  righteousness,  which  are  through  Jesus 
Christ,  unto  the  glory  and  praise  of  God."  Surely 
such  a   prayer,   at   such   a   time,    for   such   dear 


PAUL'S   PRAYER  195 

friends,  and  by  such  a  master  in  prayer,  is  well 
worth  earnest  study.  Paul  does  not  pray  for 
these  Philippians  that  their  knowledge  may 
abound,  nor  yet  that  their  influence  may  abound, 
nor  yet  that  their  physical  health  may  abound, 
nor  that  their  friends  may  abound,  nor  that  their 
wealth  may  abound.  He  prays  for  that  which  is 
their  fundamental  need,  that  their  love  may 
abound.  He  who  said,  "Faith,  hope,  love,  but 
the  greatest  of  these  is  love,"  recognizes  that  the 
real  need  of  life  is  more  love;  love  for  Christ, 
love  for  each  other,  love  for  those  for  whom  the 
Savior  died.  He  praj^s  not  for  a  love  which  may 
fill  one  little  corner  of  the  heart  and  life,  he  prays 
not  for  a  love  which  may  fill  half  of  the  heart ; 
but  for  a  love  which  abounds,  and  for  a  love 
which  keeps  on  growing  and  abounding  more  and 
yet  more.  But  this  love  for  which  he  prays  must 
not  be  empty  emotion,  or  zeal  without  knowledge, 
but  love  founded  on  and  increasing  with  increas- 
ing knowledge.  Love  without  knowledge  is  apt  to 
be  weak  and  without  endurance.  Knowledge 
without  love  may  be  as  cold  and  lifeless  as 
marble.  But  love  which  increases  as  knowledge 
increases,  and  knowledge  which  increases  as  love 
is  deeper  and  broader,  when  linked  together,  con- 
stitute the  very  dynamite  of  God.  But  there  is  a 
peculiar  kind  of  knowledge  which  Paul  would 
have  them  possess,  that  knowledge  which  leads  to 
discrimination.     One  of    the    great   problems  of 


196  PAUL'S   PRAYER 

life  is  to  know  what  is  worth  while ;  what  is  of 
real  value  and  what  is  comparatively  worthless. 
In  proportion  as  we  discriminate  between  values 
and  approve  onl}^  those  things  which  are  excel- 
lent, we  are  in  the  path  of  real  progress.  If  we 
are  really  and  truly  growing  in  grace  and  in  the 
knowledge  of  His  will,  the  road  over  which  we 
have  thus  far  journeyed  will  be  strewn  with  cast- 
off  things,  things  to  which  we  once  clung  and  which 
we  thought  were  valuable,  but  which  we  have  since 
learned  were  "weights."  We  shall  be  coming 
more  and  more  to  "cast  aside  the  weights  and  the 
sins  that  so  easily  beset  us,  and  to  run  with 
patience  the  race  set  before  us. ' '  Now  Paul  prays 
for  these  friends  that  their  love  may  abound  more 
and  yet  more  in  knowledge  and  all  discernment, 
that  they  may  test  things  and  approve  only  those 
things  that  are  excellent.  And  what  would  be 
the  logical  result  of  a  life  of  love,  abounding  more 
and  yet  more  in  knowledge  and  all  discernment, 
testing  things  and  approving  only  what  is  excel- 
lent? It  would  be  a  life  "sincere  and  void  of 
offence  unto  the  day  of  Christ. ' '  A  sincere  life  is 
a  life  which  can  bear  the  searching  light  of  the 
noontide  sun,  a  life  in  which  there  is  no  pretence, 
no  sham,  no  make-believe,  a  life  which  is  as  it 
appears  to  be;  while  a  life  "void  of  offence  unto 
the  day  of  Christ"  is  a  life  in  which  there  is 
nothing  over  which  the  possessor  would  stumble, 
and  nothing  which  would  cause  others  to  stumble; 


PAUL'S   PRAYER  197 

a  life  which  will  be  able  to  stand  the  test  of 
that  day  when  all  secrets  shall  be  told,  and 
the  hidden  shall  be  revealed.  Such  a  life  of 
love,  abounding  with  knowledge,  leading  to 
the  testing  of  things  and  the  approval  only  of 
excellent  things,  resulting  in  sincerity  and 
absence  of  any  cause  of  stumbling,  even  to  the 
day  of  Christ,  will  be  "filled  with  the  fruits  of 
righteousness,  which  are  through  Jesus  Christ, 
unto  the  glory  and  praise  of  God. ' '  Not  a  little 
fruit  here  and  there,  but  "filled  with  fruits"; 
fruits  which  are  the  result  of  right  living  and 
result  in  righteous  character;  fruits  which  do  not 
come  through  one's  own  unaided  efforts,  but 
"through  Jesus  Christ";  fruits  which  result  not 
in  self-glorification,  but  "unto  the  glory  and  praise 
of  God. "  Such  is  the  wonderful  course  of  thought 
in  Paul's  prayer  for  the  Philippians.  He  begins 
with  abounding  love,  he  ends  with  abounding 
fruitfulness.  Every  link  in  the  golden  chain  is 
necessary,  and  necessary  in  the  order  named. 
Omit  a  single  link,  and  the  beauty  and  strength  of 
the  chain  are  gone.  Abounding  love  coupled  with 
abounding  knowledge,  the  testing  of  things  and 
approval  of  that  only  which  is  excellent,  a  life 
sincere  and  void  of  offence  unto  the  day  of  Christ, 
a  life  filled  with  fruits,  through  Christ,  unto  the 
glory  and  praise  of  God.  How  logical  it  all  is ! 
There  can  never  be  abounding  fruit  apart  from 
the  fulfilling  of  these  necessary  conditions.     We 


198  PAUL'S   PRAYER 

often  long  and  pray  for  more  fruit.  Let  us 
remember  that  "fruits  come  from  roots"  and  see  to 
it  that  we  fulfill  the  plain  conditions  of  a  harvest. 
Prof.  Drummond  once  said  that  if  any  Christian 
would  take  that  remarkable  chapter  on  love,  first 
Corinthians,  thirteen,  and  read  it  once  a  day  care- 
fully and  prayerfully  for  two  years,  it  would 
marvelously  enrich  and  deepen  his  Christian 
experience.  I  feel  similarly  about  this  prayer  of 
Paul.  If  you  will  study  it  and  learn  it  (it  is  very 
easy  to  commit,  as  it  is  so  logical)  and  incorporate 
it  into  your  daily  petitions  for  two  years,  it  will 
wonderfully  enlarge  your  conception  of  the  Chris- 
tian life,  will  enrich  your  prayers,  and  deepen 
your  spiritual  experience.  Will  you  try  it  for 
yourself? 


Thankfulness 


^* 


Ephesians  ^:  18-20.— ''And  be  not  drunkest  with  wine^ 
wherein  is  riot,  but  be  filled  with  the  spirit;  speaking 
one  to  another  in  psalms  and  hymns  atid  spiritual 
songs,  singi7ig  and  making  melody  with  your  heart 
to  the  Lord;  givi?ig  thanks  always  for  all  things  in 
the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  God,  even  the 
Father. " 

IF  we  were  to  study  the  subject  of  prayer,  as 
it  is  illustrated  by  the  prayers  of  the  Bible, 
we  should  be  impressed  with  the  thought 
that  there  must  be,  either  expressed  or  implied, 
five  elements  in  all  true  prayer ;  and  that  these 
elements  too  will  occur  in  the  same  general  order. 
There  will  be  first  an  ascription  of  praise  and 
thanksgiving  to  God.  This  is  most  fitting  on  the 
part  of  a  helpless  creature  coming  into  the  pres- 

*  Ever  since  I  gave  my  life  to  Christ  I  have  been  trying 
to  emphasize  by  life  and  song  and  sermon  the  duty  and  the 
privilege  of  thankfulness.  During  the  last  seven  years, 
while  life  has  been  lived  in  a  wheel-chair,  I  have  considered 
it  to  be  an  especial  privilege  and  duty  to  speak  upon  this 
pleasant  theme.  Surely  the  Father  grants  to  those  of  us, 
whose  lives  are  in  the  world's  view  so  broken  and  saddened, 
a  dark  background  upon  which  we  can  the  more  easily  pre- 
sent the  thought  of  Christian  cheerfulness. 

199 


200  THANKFULNESS 

ence  of  a  benevolent  Creator ;  or  of  a  dependent 
son  addressing  a  provident  Heavenly  Father. 
Then  there  will  follow  an  humble  confession  of 
sin.  This  surely  will  rush  to  the  lips  of  him  who 
has  any  conception  at  all  of  the  heinousness  of  sin, 
of  his  own  faults  and  failings,  and  of  the  holiness 
of  God.  Then,  thirdly,  there  will  be  a  pleading 
of  God's  promises,  which  promises  are  the  basis 
of  approach  unto  God,  and  an  encouragement  to 
faith.  Then  there  will  follow  a  recalling  of  past 
mercies  and  blessings  received,  which  still  further 
will  stimulate  faith.  And  lastly  there  will  be 
definite  and  persistent  petition.  A  fine  example 
of  such  prayer,  where  these  five  elements  are 
clearly  manifest,  is  found  in  the  first  chapter  of 
the  wonderful  book  of  Nehemiah,  Nehemiah's 
prayer  when  his  heart  was  burdened  for  Jeru- 
salem. 

One  very  important  element  in  true  prayer  we 
are  apt  to  overlook,  or  to  slight,  the  element  of 
praise  and  thankfulness.  We  have  almost  for- 
gotten how  to  cry  "Hallelujah!"  "Praise  ye  the 
Lord!"  And  yet  the  spirit  of  true  prayer  and  of 
true  praise  go  ever  hand  in  hand.  It  matters  little 
whether  you  call  the  world's  great  song  book 
"The  Prayers  of  David"  or  "The  Psalms  of 
David"  ;  for  praise  and  prayer  are  sisters.  There- 
fore Paul  writes  to  the  Colossians,  "Continue 
steadfastly  in  prayer,  watching  therein  with 
thanksgiving";    and  to  the    Philippians,    "With 


THANKFULNESS  201 

thanksgiving,  let  your  requests  be  made  known 
unto  God. "  We  do  not  so  often  fail  in  our  asking 
as  in  our  thanking.  We  are  in  danger  of  becom- 
ing a  family  of  beggars.  Our  prayers  and  our 
lives  are  in  danger  of  being  sadly  marred  and 
scarred  by  a  lack  of  gratitude.  Our  prayers  and 
our  lives  are  in  danger  of  losing  much  of  their 
sweetness  and  their  power  through  a  minimum  of 
praise;  life  thus  becomes  warped  and  selfish, 
displeasing  to  God  and  powerless  with  men.  We 
have  an  annual  Thanksgiving  Day  in  our  national 
calendar.  Nationally  and  personally  it  may  be  a 
curse  to  us,  or  a  blessing.  If  we  take  advantage 
of  the  custom  to  live  a  life  of  fussing  and  com- 
plaining for  three  hundred  and  sixty-four  days  of 
the  year,  or  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  days  if  it 
happens  to  be  leap-year ;  and  then  soothe  to  sleep 
an  already  drowsy  conscience  by  tacking  on  an 
appendix  of  gratitude  to  our  Thanksgiving  Day 
prayer,  only  to  spend  the  rest  of  the  day  in  gor- 
mandizing or  dissipation,  the  day  will  be  a 
hindrance  to  us  rather  than  a  help.  But  if  the 
presence  of  such  a  day  in  our  personal  or  national 
calendar  will  cause  us  to  stop  and  think  of  our 
many  blessings  and  our  ill-desert,  and  will  help 
us  to  cultivate  the  spirit  of  gratitude  and  to  live 
more  thankful  lives,  then  the  day  will  always  be 
to  us  a  personal  as  well  as  a  national  blessing. 

Not  only  is  thankfulness  an  important  element 
in  all  true  prayer,  but  it  is  also  to  be  noted  that 


202  THANKFULNESS 

men  and  women  who  are  pre-eminent  for  real 
piety  are  pre-eminent  for  praise.  A  few  exam- 
ples from  biblical  history  will  make  this  abun- 
dantly evident.  Moses  was  a  man  of  true  piety. 
He  was  pre-eminent  in  praise.  All  through  his 
long  and  useful  life  he  kept  setting  up  memorials 
of  God's  mercies,  and  emphasized  the  importance 
of  the  festivals  of  thanksgiving.  The  whole  book 
of  Deuteronomy  is  largely  made  up  of  Moses' 
great  thanksgiving  addresses,  given  at  the  close 
of  his  life,  when  he  lovingly  recounted  and  called 
upon  the  people  to  "remember  all  the  way 
that  the  Lord"  their  God  had  led  them.  David, 
the  man  after  God's  own  heart,  was  pre-eminent 
for  praise.  Of  all  Old  Testament  characters 
he  seems  most  near  to  the  majority  of  us, 
because  of  the  wide  diversity  of  his  experiences. 
David  had  such  a  checkered  career;  touched 
life  at  so  many  points ;  seemed  so  human.  Like 
his  greater  Son,  he  was  tempted  and  tried  in  all 
points  like  as  we  are,  and  so  in  some  experience 
of  his  life  he  resembles  every  other  life.  And 
yet,  during  all  of  the  varied  experiences  of  his 
varied  life,  we  find  him  to  be  a  man  of  song  and 
praise.  No  matter  when  his  psalms  may  have 
been  written;  in  the  seclusion  and  quiet  of  his 
shepherd  hours;  or  when  he  was  the  favorite  at 
the  court  of  the  king ;  or  when  he  was  fleeing  as 
a  refugee  from  the  wrath  of  Saul;  or  when  he 
was  at  the  height  of  his  power  as  king  over  all 


THANKFULNESS  203 

Israel;  or  when  his  own  sin  and  family  troubles 
were  bringing  him  in  sorrow  to  his  grave;  in 
every  hour  of  his  life  he  finds  some  occasion  for 
gratitude,  and  sings  in  almost  every  psalm, 
"Praise  ye  the  Lord."  Yes,  in  spite  of  all  his 
failings,  in  many  ways  David  was  the  man 
after  God's  own  heart;  penitent  for  his  sin, 
aspiring  toward  the  best,  thankful  at  all  times. 
Daniel,  too,  pre-eminent  for  piety,  was  pre- 
eminent for  praise.  Even  when  an  exile  and 
captive  in  victorious  Babylon,  three  times  a  day 
even  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  he  opened  his  windows 
toward  Jerusalem,  and  upon  his  knees  "prayed 
and  gave  thanks  before  his  God  as  he  did  afore- 
time" (i.  e.,  as  was  his  custom). 

When  we  turn  to  New  Testament  times 
we  find  in  the  lives  of  Jesus,  and  of  his 
faithful  pupil,  Paul,  remarkable  illustration  of 
the  same  truth,  that  true  piety  and  praise  go 
hand  in  hand.  All  through  the  life  of  Jesus, 
a  life  of  sorrow,  loneliness  and  hardest  toil 
and  trial,  there  runs  a  glad  theme  of  thanksgiving 
and  praise;  so  that  even  under  the  shadow  of  the 
cross  he  cries  out  exultantly,  "I  thank  Thee,  O 
Father."  In  the  life  of  Paul  also  we  have  a 
splendid  illustration  of  the  habit  of  thankfulness 
in  all  of  the  varied  circumstances  of  life.  For 
Paul,  like  David,  had  a  very  checkered  career. 
Joy  and  sorrow,  health  and  sickness,  prosperity 
and  adversity,  the  love  of  friends  and  the  hatred 


204  THANKFULNESS 

of  foes,  all  were  a  part  of  his  lot.  As  he  himself 
wrote  to  the  Philippians,  "I  know  how  both  to  be 
abased  and  to  abound,  .  .  .  both  to  be  full  and 
to  be  hungry."  Paul  tasted  almost  every  experi- 
ence possible  in  the  whole  gamut  of  human  trial. 
Listen  to  his  own  list  as  given  in  2  Cor.  11 :  23-28: 
"Are  they  ministers  of  Christ?  (I  speak  as  one 
beside  himself.)  I  more;  in  labours  more  abun- 
dantly, in  prisons  more  abundantly,  in  stripes 
above  measure,  in  deaths  oft.  Of  the  Jews  five 
times  received  I  forty  stripes  save  one.  Thrice 
was  I  beaten  with  rods,  once  was  I  stoned,  thrice 
I  suffered  shipwreck,  a  night  and  a  day  have  I 
been  in  the  deep ;  in  journeyings  often,  in  perils 
of  rivers,  in  perils  of  robbers,  in  perils  from  my 
countrymen,  in  perils  from  the  Gentiles,  in  perils 
in  the  city,  in  perils  in  the  wilderness,  in  perils  in 
the  sea,  in  perils  among  false  brethren ;  in  labour 
and  travail,  in  watchings  often,  ifi  hunger  and 
thirst,  in  fastings  often,  in  cold  and  nakedness. 
Besides  those  things  that  are  without,  there  is 
that  which  presseth  upon  me  daily,  anxiety  for  all 
the  churches."  And  yet  everywhere  we  find  a 
ringing  note  of  praise  in  all  of  Paul's  life.  His 
letters,  written,  some  on  the  second  missionary 
tour,  some  on  the  third  missionary  tour,  some  in 
the  time  of  the  first  Roman  imprisonment  and 
some  between  two  imprisonments  or  during 
a  second  imprisonment  about  to  end  in  exe- 
cution— his   letters    usually  begin   with   thanks- 


THANKFULNESS  205 

giving  and  end  with  praise.  Indeed  the 
customary  Pauline  introduction  is  a  salutation 
and  then  a  paragraph  of  gratitude.  "I  thank  my 
God  always."  If  some  people  should  talk  to  us 
about  the  duty  of  thankfulness,  we  should  be 
tempted  to  say  to  them,  "It's  very  easy  for  you  to 
think  and  speak  thus;  for  you  have  never  had  any 
very  hard  trials;  life  for  you  has  always  been 
rather  smooth  and  pleasant."  But  when  Paul,  a 
man  of  so  many  troubles  and  such  varied  experi- 
ences, speaks  of  the  duty  and  privilege  of  gratitude, 
we  ought  surely  to  give  heed  to  him.  Do  you  re- 
call one  of  his  experiences  on  his  second  mission- 
ary tour?  It  was  at  Philippi.  Paul  had  scarcely 
recovered  from  his  illness  in  Galatia.  A  divine 
call  was  heard  from  Macedonia,  to  which  Paul, 
with  Silas  and  other  companions,  had  gladly 
responded.  As  they  went  to  and  fro  in  this 
important  European  town,  they  were  often 
harassed  by  a  demonized  slave  girl,  who  was  very 
valuable  to  her  heathen  masters.  When  the  slave 
girl  continued  for  many  days  to  annoy  the  apos- 
tles, Paul  turned  about  and  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  commanded  the  evil  spirit  to  come  out  of 
her.  That  very  hour  she  v/as  cured.  "When 
her  masters  saw  that  the  hope  of  their  gain^  was 
gone,  they  caught  Paul  and  Silas,  and  drew  them 
into  the  market-place  unto  the  rulers,  and 
brought  them  to  the  magistrates."  After  a  very 
hasty  and  riotous  trial,  Paul  and  Silas  were  con- 


2o6  THANKFULNESS 

demned  to  be  beaten.  You  understand,  of  course, 
what  this  meant.  The  back  was  made  bare,  the 
condemned  person  was  bent  forward  till  every 
muscle  was  strained  to  its  severest  tension,  hands 
having  been  made  secure  to  a  post.  Then  two 
strong  soldiers,  sometimes  with  rods,  sometimes 
with  pieces  of  rope  in  which  were  intertwined 
pieces  of  metal  or  glass,  scourged  the  condemned 
upon  the  back ;  blow  after  blow  laying  bare  the 
flesh  to  the  bone.  Sometimes  people  died  under 
the  severity  of  the  lashing.,  After  a  terrible  beat- 
ing, Paul  and  Silas  were  thrust  into  the  inner 
prison,  and  their  feet  were  made  fast  in  the 
stocks.  The  inner  prison  was  a  dark,  damp, 
dirty,  dreary  dungeon.  The  stocks,  keeping  the 
body  in  a  fixed  and  uncomfortable  position,  added 
greatly  to  their  trial.  And  then  do  you  remember 
how  Paul  and  Silas  about  midnight,  some  hours 
after  the  awful  beating,  when  festering  wounds 
and  strained  and  tortured  muscles  were  specially 
painful,  began  to  complain  bitterly  of  their  hard 
trials,  and  of  fate ;  of  the  wickedness  and  worth- 
lessness  of  men,  and  of  their  pains?  No !  No !  it 
does  not  read  so  in  my  Bible.  "At  midnight 
Paul  and  Silas  prayed,  and  sang  praises  unto 
God,"  And  they  sang  too  so  loudly  and  lustily 
that  the  prisoners  heard  them,  and  doubtless 
felt  the  power  of  such  living.  And  now  again 
Paul  is  a  prisoner ;  and  from  his  prison-house,  he 
writes  that  wonderful  song  out    of    sorrow,  the 


THANKFULNESS  207 

sweet  love-letter  to  the  Philippians.  From  this 
same  prison-house,  he  writes  to  the  Colossians  of 
the  sufficiency  of  Christ.  From  this  same  prison- 
house,  he  writes  to  the  Ephesians  in  the  words  of 
the  text,  "And  be  not  drunken  with  wine, 
wherein  is  riot,  but  be  filled  with  the  Spirit; 
speaking  one  to  another  in  psalms  and  hymns  and 
spiritual  songs,  singing  and  making  melody  with 
your  heart  to  the  Lord;  giving  thanks  always  for 
all  things  in  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to 
God,  even  the  Father. ' '  Surely  Paul  has  a  right 
to  be  heard,  when  he  speaks  to  us  of  the  privilege 
and  duty  of  gratitude. 

And  all  down  through  the  history  of  the  Chris- 
tian church,  you  will  find  examples  of  the  truth 
that  true  prayer  and  true  piety  go  hand  in  hand 
with  praise.  Indeed  a  complaining  Christian  is  a 
paradox,  a  contradiction  in  terms.  Theoretically 
and  ideally  this  is  true ;  yet  in  reality  we  find  many 
professing  Christians  whose  lives  are  filled  with 
murmuring  and  complaining,  with  fussing  and 
grumbling.  Many  seem  to  have  forgotten  Paul's 
injunction  to  the  Philippians:  "Do  all  things 
without  murmurings  and  disputings;  that  ye  may 
be  blameless  and  harmless,  children  of  God  with- 
out blemish  in  the  midst  of  a  crooked  and  per- 
verse generation,  among  whom  ye  are  seen  as 
luminaries,  holding  forth  the  word  of  life."  It 
would  be  of  great  advantage  both  to  the  church 
and  to  the  world  if  some  Christians  would  move 


2o8  THANKFULNEvSS 

at  once  off  from  Grumble  Street  on  to  Thanks- 
giving Avenue.  David  said,  "It  is  a  good  thing 
to  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord. ' '  Let  us  think  for 
a  season  of  some  reasons  v^hy  we  ought  to  culti- 
vate the  habit  of  gratitude : 

I.  We  ought  to  cultivate  the  habit  of  grati- 
tude because  it  is  the  proper  thing  to  do. 
When  we  remember  that  "every  good  giving 
and  every  perfect  boon  is  from  above,  com- 
ing down  from  the  Father  of  lights,  with 
whom  can  be  no  variation,  neither  shadow  that  is 
cast  by  turning";  when  we  recall  how  many  and 
manifold  mercies  have  been  and  are  being  contin- 
ually showered  upon  us,  undeserving  of  them  as 
we  are ;  we  ought  surely  to  recognize  that  grati- 
tude felt  and  expressed  is  an  eminently  fitting  and 
proper  thing  on  our  part.  Though  we  were 
created  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God  and 
made  to  rule,  though  man  has  a  dignity  and 
destiny  nobler  far  than  all  other  creatures,  yet  he 
is  born  into  this  world  as  one  of  the  most  helpless 
of  all  animals.  The  young  of  the  lower  animals 
somehow  survive  the  most  unfavorable  condi- 
tions ;  but  the  baby  man  is  so  weak  and  so  helpless 
that  he  is  absolutely  dependent  upon  parents  or 
friends  for  the  first  few  years  of  existence.  When 
we  become  older  and  stronger  we  are  apt  to  for- 
get these  things.  We  get  proud.  And  yet,  of 
what  has  such  an  inconsistent,  weak,  sinning  one 
as  man  to  be  proud?     Surely  the  recipient  of  so 


THANKFULNESS  209 

many  undeserved  blessings  ought  to  be  thankful. 
In  business  lines  or  social  walks,  whenever  we 
receive  a  favor,  we  acknowledge  it  by  a  receipt 
or  a  note  of  thanks.  Should  we  not  be  as  busi- 
ness-like and  civil  in  respect  to  favors  received 
from  God?  Common  decency  and  courtesy  would 
seem  to  demand  it.  Surely  to  receive  a  favor  is 
to  incur  an  obligation,  and  that  obligation  at  the 
least  is  an  obligation  of  gratitude.  It  was  held 
by  the  Jews  that  "he  who  partakes  of  anything 
without  giving  thanks  acts  as  if  he  were  stealing 
it  from  God."  If  in  the  twilight  of  revelation 
the  Jews  recognized  this  truth,  what  shall  be  said 
of  professed  Christians  who  live  kicking  and  com- 
plaining lives ;  Christians,  so  called,  some  of  whom 
do  not  even  have  a  blessing  at  the  table?  No 
true  Jew  ever  omitted  the  table  blessing.  Jesus 
always  gave  thanks.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  Christ, 
when  he  had  healed  the  ten  lepers,  and  only  one 
had  returned  to  thank  him  for  it,  sadly  asked, 
"Where  are  the  nine?"  "To  be  thankful"  means 
really  "to  be  thinkful,"  "to  confess  the  facts,"  to 
acknowledge  the  truth.  For  decency's  sake  we 
ought  to  be  grateful. 

2.  We  ought  to  cultivate  the  habit  of  gratitude, 
because  it  is  most  pleasing  to  God.  True  parent- 
hood in  man  must  be  more  or  less  of  a  true 
shadow  of  parenthood  in  God.  And  that  which 
pleases  or  displeases  true  earthly  parents,  must 
be  analogous  to  what  is  pleasing  or  displeasing  to 


2IO  THANKFULNESS 

the  Heavenly  Parent.  If  this  is  so,  let  me  ask 
you:  O  father;  O  mother;  what  is  it  in  your 
child  that  is  most  pleasing,  what  most  painful  to 
you?  In  your  life  of  devotion  and  self-sacrifice 
for  those  whom  God  has  given  you,  does  any 
sword  cut  with  a  keener  blade,  or  thrust  with 
more  poignant  steel,  than  the  sword  of  ingrati- 
tude? Is  anything  more  distressing  in  the  home 
life  than  the  presence  of  a  thankless  child?  Does 
anything  so  wear  upon  the  human  heart  as  lack 
of  true  appreciation?    Some  years  ago  in  the  town 

of  M ,  in  Ohio,  I  met  a  woman  with  a  heavily 

burdened  heart.  She  told  me  that  her  husband 
was  paralyzed,  and  that  she  wished  I  might  see 
him,  and  try  to  cheer  him.  At  the  time  I  was  in 
a  hospital  and  unable  to  get  to  him.  He,  how- 
ever, could  walk  with  one  cane;  and,  as  electric 
cars  passed  his  door  and  mine,  it  was  arranged 
that  he  was  to  call  upon  me.  In  a  day  or  two  he 
did  so.  During  the  first  few  minutes  of  our  inter- 
view, he  swore  at  almost  everything  imaginable, 
and  in  almost  every  way  imaginable.  When  he 
had  relieved  himself  in  this  fashion  I  asked  him 
if  he  felt  any  better  for  it.  I  had  tried  almost 
everything  for  paralysis,  but  had  never  tried 
cursing.  Perhaps  he  could  recommend  it  as  a 
helpful  treatment.  But  no,  with  all  of  his  swear- 
ing, he  had  not  helped  himself  any,  and  could  not 
recommend  the  habit.  And  then  I  asked  him  to 
tell  me  all  about  his  paralysis.    I  saw  that  I  could 


THANKFULNESS  211 

not  reach  him  from  the  religious  point  of  view, 
and  thought  I  would  try  another  plan.  I  induced 
him  to  tell  me  all  about  his  condition,  his  ability 
and  his  disability ;  and  when  he  had  finished  his 
story,  I  told  mine.  I  did  what  I  do  not  often  do, 
I  gave  him  every  detail  of  a  dark  picture.  I  did 
not  overdraw  it.  I  told  it  just  as  it  was.  When 
I  had  finished  my  story,  I  thought  Tom  (for  that 
was  his  name)  would  straighten  up,  cheer  up,  and 
say,  '*Well,  if  you  can  be  cheerful,  contented  and 
grateful  in  such  a  condition,  I  can  in  my  condi- 
tion ;  for  I  can  walk  some  and  get  about,  but  you 
must  be  carried. ' '  It  was  my  earnest  hope  that 
Tom  would  make  such  a  resolve,  and  that  our 
visit  would  be  of  permanent  benefit ;  but,  alas,  I 
didn't  know  Tom.  When  I  had  finished  my 
story,  instead  of  cheering  up  and  bracing  up, 
Tom  knitted  his  brow  and  said :  "Ugh!  That's 
tough!  I  suppose  I'll  be  that  way  some  day!" 
Now  what  could  one  do  to  cheer  such  a  person  as 
that,  a  person  who  would  always  look  upon  the 
dark  side  of  things?  A  person  who  would  not 
only  continually  complain  of  present  trials,  but 
would  spend  the  time  in  anticipating  possible 
worse  ones?  Some  days  afterwards  I  saw  again 
Tom's  wife,  and  I  said  to  her,  "My  dear  woman, 
what  is  it  in  your  life  that  is  continually  wearing 
upon  you,  that  whitens  your  hair  and  writes 
wrinkles  on  your  brow?  What  is  it  that  is  break- 
ing your  health  so?     Is  it  because  Tom  is  par- 


212  THANKFULNESS 

alyzed?  Is  it  because  you  have  so  much  hard 
work  to  do?"  "Oh,"  she  said,  "it  isn't  because 
Tom  is  paralyzed.  It  isn't  because  of  the  work. 
When  I  married  Tom  he  was  well  and  strong. 
Everything  was  bright  and  fair.  But  I  married 
him  for  weal  or  woe,  for  better  or  worse.  It  isn't 
because  Tom  is  paralyzed.  It  isn't  because  of  the 
work.  I  love  him.  I  loved  him  when  he  was 
strong  and  well.  I  love  him  none  the  less  now. 
It's  a  pleasure  to  wait  upon  him  and  help  him. 
Don't  you  know  what  a  woman  means  when  she 
says  'I  love  him'?  Ah,  no,  it  isn't  because  Tom's 
paralyzed.  But  Tom  don't  do  as  he  once  did. 
He  was  once  so  grateful  and  appreciative.  He 
seems  now  to  take  for  granted  everything  I  do  for 
him.  He  seems  to  forget  to  say  'Thank  you.'  " 
"But,"  said  I,  "Tom  told  me  only  a  few  days  ago 
that  he  had  the  best  wife  in  town."  "Ah,"  she 
said — and  I  can  see  now  the  trembling  of  her 
form,  the  twitching  of  the  muscles  of  the  face, 
and  the  tears  chasing  each  other  down  her  cheeks 
— "he  hasn't  told  me  that  for  along  time;  not  for 
a  long  time."  And  when  I  saw  Tom  I  told  him 
how  his  wife  was  starving  for  gratitude. 

And  I  want  to  say  to  you,  O  husband:  what 
your  wife  needs  to  cheer  her  heart  and  make 
glad  her  home  and  yours,  is  not  electric  lights, 
not  a  new  dress,  or  a  new  bonnet,  so  much  as  it 
is  for  you  to  be  as  gallant  and  grateful  and  appre- 
ciative  of  her,   as  you  were  when  you  were   a 


THANKFULNESS  213 

young  lover,  or  were  in  the  first  years  of  wedded 
life.  Grateful  appreciation  will  do  more  to  make 
her  step  light,  to  keep  her  face  bright  and  her 
heart  full  of  sunshine  and  cheer  than  almost  any 
other  one  thing.  And,  O  wife:  to  you,  too,  a 
similar  message  comes.  Nothing  will  do  more  to 
cheer  and  inspire  and  brace  a  hard  working  and 
heavily  burdened  husband  than  the  sweet  appre- 
ciation, felt  and  expressed,  of  a  true,  grateful 
wife.  And  here  also  I  see  before  me  many 
bright  boys  and  girls  who  are  beloved  by  parents 
and  who  indeed  love  their  parents.  But,  boys 
and  girls,  sometimes  you  forget.  Who  is  it  that 
provides  the  beautiful  ribbons  and  bright  dresses, 
the  balls  and  bats,  the  school-books,  pencils  and 
papers,  etc.  ?  Why,  when  I  was  a  boy,  we  used  an 
old  broken  piece  of  a  slate ;  and  with  a  rag  and 
in  an  unmentionable  way  we  cleaned  our  broken 
slates.  But  the  doctors  have  said  that  rags  and 
sponges  and  slates  must  go,  and  now  you  have 
pencils  and  paper  and  tablets;  and  every  few 
weeks  you  must  have  new  books.    Boys  and  girls ! 

"You  are  the  heirs  of  all  the  ages 
In  the  foremost  files  of  Time." 

You  have  almost  everything.  But,  under  God,  to 
whom  are  you  indebted  for  all  of  these  blessings? 
Generally  to  a  hard  working,  faithful  father,  or  a 
self-sacrificing,  patient  mother,  or  to  both.  And, 
boys  and  girls,  nothing  will  so  please  your  father 


214  THANKFULNESS 

and  mother  as  your  gratitude  expressed  in  obedi- 
ent and  faithful  lives,  and  in  words  of  love  and 
thankfulness.  When  we  go  from  here  to  our 
homes,  let  us  all  turn  over  a  new  leaf,  and  begin 
to  cultivate  the  habit  of  more  freely  expressing 
our  gratitude.  Now,  if  this  is  pleasing  in  human 
relationships,  it  is  most  surely  well-pleasing  to 
God.  One  of  the  awful  charges  brought  against 
the  heathen  world,  in  that  remarkable  first  chap- 
ter of  Romans,  is  that  "knowing  God,  they  glori- 
fied him  not  as  God,  neither  gave  thanks. ' '  God, 
I  believe,  hungers  for,  and  delights  in  the 
expressed  gratitude  of  his  creatures. 

3.  We  ought  to  cultivate  a  thankful  spirit, 
because  it  will  produce  in  us  humility  and  indus- 
try. One  of  the  things  which  God  hates  is  pride. 
In  all  parts  of  Scripture  it  receives  the  severest 
condemnation.  On  the  other  hand  God  is  said  to 
have  two  thrones,  one  in  the  heights  of  heaven, 
the  other  in  the  humble  heart:  for  Isaiah  says, 
"Thus  saith  the  high  and  lofty  One  that  inhabiteth 
eternity,  whose  name  is  Holy:  I  dwell  in  the  high 
and  holy  place,  with  him  also  that  is  of  a  contrite 
and  humble  spirit. "  And  the  psalmist  says,  "The 
Lord  is  nigh  unto  them  that  are  of  a  broken 
heart,  and  saveth  such  as  be  of  a  contrite  spirit.** 
And  again,  "The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken 
spirit :  a  broken  and  contrite  heart,  O  God,  thou 
wilt  not  despise."  And  both  James  and  Peter 
tell  us,  "God  resisteth  the  proud,  but  giveth  grace 


THANKFULNESS  215 

to  the  humble."  Jesus,  too,  the  only  time  he 
ever  defined  his  heart-life,  said,  "For  I  am  meek 
and  lowly  in  heart."  If  we  desire,  then,  to  culti- 
vate and  acquire  more  of  this  desirable  humility, 
let  us  cultivate  the  spirit  of  gratitude,  for  grati- 
tude and  humility  go  hand  in  hand.  A  really 
proud  person  is  seldom  grateful.  A  truly  grate- 
ful person  generally  has  a  humble  heart.  He, 
who  forms  the  habit  of  constantly  bearing  in 
mind  the  manifold  blessings  and  mercies  show- 
ered upon  him,  feels  more  and  more  his  own 
unworthiness,  and  comes  more  and  more  into  the 
spirit  of  true  humility.  But  the  spirit  of  grati- 
tude will  not  only  produce  in  us  humility,  but  will 
also  incite  us  to  industry.  As  we  think  of  our 
many  reasons  for  gratitude,  and  of  our  unworthi- 
ness to  receive  one-half  that  we  enjoy,  we  shall 
find  ourselves  spurred  on  to  honest  toil  and  ear- 
nest endeavor,  that  we  may  in  some  way  show  our 
appreciation  and  become  more  worthy  of  our 
blessings.  Thus  will  the  habit  of  gratitude  pro- 
duce in  us  the  two  conditions  of  true  success, 
humility  and  industry.  I  am  told  that  over  the 
gates  leading  from  one  quadrangle  to  another  in 
a  great  English  university  is  this  significant 
inscription.  Over  the  first  gate  is  written  *'Per 
humilitatem;"  over  the  second  gate  ''Per  hon- 
estatem;"  over  the  third  gate  ''Ad  honorem. " 
"Through  humility,  through  industry  (or  integ- 
rity) to  honor. ' '     These  are  the  two  gates  to  true 


2i6  THANKFULNESS 

honor  and  success  in  every  walk  in  life :  and  if  we 
shall  cultivate  the  spirit  of  gratitude,  we  shall  not 
find  it  hard  either  to  be  humble  or  industrious. 

4.  The  habit  of  thankfulness  will  develop  and 
enlarge  any  one.  Ingratitude  belittles,  warps  and 
dwarfs  anybody,  while  the  spirit  of  gratitude 
makes  for  manhood  and  womanhood.  "The  real 
size  of  a  gentleman  or  lady, ' '  some  one  has  said, 
"can  easily  be  determined  by  the  amount  of  their 
appreciation  of  others,  and  of  favors  received." 
In  other  words  lack  of  gratitude  is  lack  of  man- 
hood and  womanhood.  No  one  is  smaller  than  the 
ingrate  and  the  miser.  Gratitude  enlarges  and 
develops. 

5.  The  spirit  of  gratitude  makes  life  easier  and 
more  enjoyable.  Real  gratitude  for  anything 
increases  the  enjoyment  of  it,  and  the  expression 
of  such  gratitude  increases  both  the  gratitude  and 
the  enjoyment.  After  my  wheel-chair  has  been 
used  for  a  few  days,  it  begins  to  creak  and 
squeak,  and  I  know  that  it  needs  oil.  And  I 
come  into  touch  with  many  people  who  are  full  of 
creaks  and  squeaks,  and  who  need  some  oil,  or 
other  lubricating  fluid,  to  remove  the  whining  of 
the  wheels.  I  know  of  no  oil  like  the  oil  of  glad- 
ness. "He  that  hath  a  merry  heart  hath  a  contin- 
ual feast. ' '  And  the  person  who  cultivates  at  all 
times  the  thankful  spirit  has  found  a  lubricating 
oil,  which  will  remove  much  of  the  wear  and 
tear,  much  of    the  jar    and    jostle    in     the   ma- 


THANKFULNESS  217 

chinery  of  life.     It  will  refresh  body,  mind  and 
spirit. 

6.  And  again,  the  thankful  spirit  helps  others  and 
wins  friendship.  *'A  merry  heart  doeth  good  like 
medicine."  And  he  who  cultivates  a  thankful 
spirit  always  has  friends.  Everybody  likes  flow- 
ers. He  who  always  scatters  sunshine  is  always 
a  favorite.  You  don't  care  to  see  the  person  who 
goes  about  with  a  doleful  face,  and  a  dismal 
whine,  and  always  talks  of  his  miseries  and  woes, 
and  sees  nothing  but  dark  shadows  and  cypress 
trees.  Some  people  seem  to  enjoy  their  miseries, 
and  only  approach  some  shadow  of  a  shade  of  a 
shining  when  they  have  some  one's  ears  into 
which,  with  unfeigned  contentment,  they  can 
pour  their  oft-repeated  tale  of  woe.  But  such 
people  generally  have  few  friends,  and  never  are 
popular  with  any  one.  Side  by  side  with  these 
who  spend  their  days  in  overhauling  their  per- 
sonal miseries,  are  the  howling  pessimists,  who 
see  no  cause  for  gratitude  anywhere.  Some  com- 
miseration is  to  be  felt  for  those  who,  overcome 
by  their  personal  trials  and  woes,  have  gotten  into 
the  unpleasant  and  unprofitable  business  of  taking 
frequent  inventories  of  their  miseries.  But  for 
those  kickers  who  deliberately  put  on  a  pair  of 
the  bluest  spectacles  in  order  to  see  everything  in 
the  darkest  and  most  discouraging  light,  nothing 
but  the  severest  condemnation  is  fitting.  In  such 
black  darkness,  no  good  thrives.     These,   then, 


2i8  THANKFULNESS 

are  some  of  the  reasons  why  we  ought  to  be 
grateful.  It  is  the  proper  thing  to  do ;  it  is  most 
pleasing  to  God ;  it  tends  to  produce  humility  and 
industry ;  it  develops  and  enlarges  one ;  it  makes 
life  easier  and  more  enjoyable;  it  makes  for 
friendship  and  helpfulness. 

Praise  is  one  of  the  greatest  acts  of  which 
we  are  capable.  Heaven  is  filled  with  praise. 
Thanksgiving  constitutes  the  very  atmosphere  of 
the  kingdom.  Everybody's  life  ought  to  be  mu- 
sical. God  intended  that  every  life  should  be  so. 
God's  world,  as  He  made  it,  and  wherever  sin  has 
not  destroyed  its  melody,  is  vocal  with  music. 
There  is  the  carol  of  the  bird,  the  ripple  of  the 
brook,  the  soft  zephyrs  of  the  evening;  even  the 
busy  bee  hums  a  merry  tune.  Man  alone  with- 
holds his  note  of  praise.  Yet  everybody  has  a 
capacity  for  praise,  for  music.  Only  demons 
hate  harmony.  They  alone  love  discord,  and 
make  it  their  business  to  produce  as  much  of 
it  as  possible  everywhere.  Surely  Christians, 
redeemed  by  the  precious  blood  of  Christ,  and 
saved  from  the  penalty  and  dominion  of  sin, 
ought  to  have  musical  lives.  Such  surely  ought 
to  be  "filled  with  the  Spirit,  speaking  one  to 
another  in  psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual  songs, 
singing  and  making  melody  with  the  heart  to  the 
Lord ;  giving  thanks  always  for  all  things,  in  the 
name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  God,  even  the 
Father."     Christianity  is  particularly  a  religion 


THANKFULNESS  219 

of  joy  and  thankfulness.  We  must  so  live  it  if 
we  are  to  be  Christ's  representatives  and  be  true 
witnesses  of  His  kingdom.  He  desired  that  His  joy 
might  remain  in  His  disciples,  and  that  their  joy 
might  be  full.  We  must  realize  His  spirit  of  joy 
and  thankfulness  in  our  own  lives,  if  our  living  is 
to  be  of  much  inspiration  to  ourselves,  or  of  much 
helpfulness  and  attractiveness  unto  others.  Some 
one  has  truly  written : 

"A  religion  without  thanksgiving,  praise  and  joy 
Is  like  a  flower  without  perfume,  tint  or  honey; 
There  may  be  such  a  flower,  but  surely 
No  one  would  care  to  pluck  it." 

If  your  religion  is  "a  religion  without  thanks- 
giving, praise  or  joy,"  I  don't  want  it.  I  wouldn't 
have  it.  I  should  be  surprised  to  find  anybody 
who  would  want  it. 

But  you  say  that  it  is  easy  to  be  thankful  for 
some  things,  but  impossible  always  to  be  thankful 
for  all  things.  Any  heathen  could  be  thankful 
for  some  things.  This  is  not  a  Christian  grace. 
The  Christian  grace  is  to  obey  Paul's  injunction 
and  give  "thanks  always  for  all  things  in  the 
name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  unto  God,  even 
the  Father."  **In  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ"  and  '*unto  God,  even  the  Father,"  in 
these  two  thoughts  is  the  key  to  "giving  thanks 
always  for  all  things."  Christ  being  my  Savior, 
and  God  being  my  Father,  make  it  possible  for 
me  to  sing: 


220  THANKFULNESS 

"Father,  for  gain  or  loss  I  owe 
Thee  song  and  prayer.     How  do  I  know 
With  these  dim-sighted  eyes? 
Grief  may  be  good  in  dark  disguise." 

For  the  Christian,  gratitude  and  thankfulness  are 
not  and  must  not  be  dependent  upon  outward  con- 
ditions and  circumstances.  They  must  rest  upon 
the  settled  conviction  of  the  soul  that  the  Father's 
love  and  the  Savior's  grace  will,  if  you  are  willing 
and  obedient,  make  "all  things  to  work  together 
for  good. ' '  God,  my  Father,  is  supremely  inter- 
ested in  my  welfare.  Whatever  touches  my  life, 
therefore,  comes  by  His  permitting  or  providing 
providence  through  the  circle  of  his  ensphering 
love.  I  need  not  know  just  what  the  immediate 
or  the  remote  outcome  is  to  be.  I  don't  need  to 
know.     He  knows. 

••I  do  not  ask  that  God  should  always  make  my  pathway 
bright. 
I  only  pray  that  he  will  hold  my  hand  throughout  the 
night." 

At  first  when  the  blow  falls,  manlike  I  may  stag- 
ger and  cry  out  with  the  human  Savior,  "O 
Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass."  Yet 
He  knows  how  human  I  am.  He  knows  what  is 
in  man.  He  will  be  patient  and  compassionate, 
and  wait  till  I  learn  to  say:  "Nevertheless,  not 
my  will,  but  Thine  be  done."  Even  in  sorrow 
and  for  sorrow  I  may  learn  to  be  thankful :  as  I 
note  the  sweetening  and  strengthening  of  char 


THANKFULNESS  221 

acter  and  the  disciplinary  effect  of  trial  upon  me ; 
as  I  note  how  it  drives  me  closer  to  Christ,  helps 
me  to  realize  my  need,  opens  up  and  makes  real 
to  me  the  sympathy  and  friendship  of  Jesus,  and 
the  sweetness  and  richness  of  the  manifold 
promises ;  as  I  note  how  it  so  humanizes  me  and 
teaches  me  to  sympathize  with  and  help  others. 
Yes,  even  in  sorrow  and  for  sorrow  I  may  be 
grateful.  God  helping  me  so  to  do,  I  will  learn 
at  all  times  and  for  all  things  to  give  thanks. 
(i)  I  will  look  at  the  bright  side  of  a  dark  sub- 
ject. I  will  look  away  to  the  light,  and  the 
shadow  will  be  behind  me.  I  do  not  destroy  the 
shadow,  nor  deny  its  existence.  I  prefer  to  look 
at  the  light,  and  the  shadow  falls  into  the  back- 
ground. This  is  both  scientific  and  Christian. 
"The  sweetest  songs  of  the  nightingale  are  only 
warbled  in  darkness,  and  the  clearest  notes  of 
thankfulness  and  joy  are  only  heard  in  the  mid- 
night of  affliction."  (2)  I  will  not  only  magnify 
my  mercies  and  take  frequent  inventory  of  my 
blessings;  but  I  will  keep  down  my  extrava- 
gances, and  learn  with  a  few  necessary  things 
therewith  to  be  content.  Jealousy  and  covetous- 
ness  shall  not  dwell  in  my  heart.  (3)  I  will  keep 
usefully  busy  and  spend  my  life  in  helpfulness. 
And  (4)  I  will  learn  to  live  a  life  of  trust,  one 
day  at  a  time;  lest  I  may  not  be  grateful,  and 
may  miss  present  opportunities  for  service,  and 
present  blessings,  by  worrying  over  imaginary  or 


222  THANKFULNESS 

future  ills.  In  these  four  ways  I  will  learn  to  be 
"thankful  always  for  all  things  in  the  name  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  God,  even  the  Father.'* 
Can  you  say  it?  Will  you  will  to  do  it  from  now 
on?  Then  j^ou  may  learn  to  sing  ** songs  in  the 
night, ' '  even  as  Fanny  Crosby  did,  in  her  more 
than  forty  years  of  blindness.  For  when  she  was 
only  eight  years  old,  and  had  lost  her  sight  for 
life,  she  said : 

"Oh,  what  a  happy  soul  am  II 
Although  I  cannot  see, 
I  am  resolved  that  in  this  world 
Contented  I  will  be. 
How  many  blessings  I  enjoy 
That  other  people  don't! 
To  weep  and  sigh,  because  I'm  blind, 
I  cannot,  and  I  won't." 

Or,  with  another  of  God's  nightingales,  an  invalid 
for  life  and  bereft  in  the  very  morning  of  woman- 
hood of  her  heart's  earthly  king;  with  Mrs. 
Steele,  another  author  of  many  songs  of  the  night, 
you  too  may  learn  to  sing: 

"Father,  whate'er  of  earthly  bliss 

Thy  sovereign  will  denies, 
Accepted  at  thy  throne  of  grace, 

Let  this  petition  rise: 
Give  me  a  calm  and  thankful  heart, 

From  every  murmur  free, 
The  blessings  of  thy  love  impart 

And  help  me  live  to  thee." 


DATE  DUE 

^SJmir^ 

ift^ 

DEMCO  38-297 

